New York, NY, August 12, 2009 ” The Algonquin Hotel has been the setting for many sophisticated gatherings throughout its history. As the home of New York’s famed Round Table and the legendary Oak Room cabaret theater, the hotel has played host to a great many notable personalities. However, the hotel’s most notable purr-sonality can be found curled on a luggage cart or chasing a ball of string down the corridor.
Matilda, the soon-to-be 14-year-old blue-eyed Rag Doll cat, celebrates her birthday at 5:00 pm on August 12, 2009 at The Algonquin Hotel. Highlights of the event include a designer birthday cake created by Lauri DiTunno, owner of Cake Alchemy and star of WE tv’s “Amazing Wedding Cakes”; and a feline fashion show featuring cats from the Westchester Cat Show in fashions by Meow Wear, hosted by Beth Stern, spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America. Matilda will also have the distinction of being groomed for her big day by Artist Knox, Animal Planet’s “Groomer of the Year” and star of the reality show “Beverly Hills Groomer”.
All proceeds from the event will go to Matilda’s favorite charity, North Shore Animal League America, and will be raised in three ways ” through a $5 admission fee; a silent auction, featuring a hand-painted portrait of “Tillie” by pet portrait specialist, Jenny Belin; and donations made in lieu of birthday gifts. Guests are also encouraged to adopt a pet from the Animal League’s Mobile Adoption Unit, which will be parked in front of the hotel on the day of the event from 3:00pm – 7:00 pm. Any guest who adopts a pet during Matilda’s party will receive a free playhouse for their new furry friend, courtesy of One Purrfect Place.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating 14 years in the life of our most famous resident,” said Gary Budge, general manager of The Algonquin Hotel. “Our resident feline is a part of the character of hotel, welcoming guests from across the globe. As such, we are very pleased to be able to use her birthday as a way to support such a worthy charitable cause as North Shore Animal League America.”
Matilda, celebrated in television and literature, is the successor to The Algonquin Hotel’s first feline resident, Hamlet, a disheveled stray cat who wandered into the hotel in the 1930’s in search of food and shelter. The hotel owner/manager at the time, Frank Case, provided Hamlet with food and a permanent home in the lobby, where he became a hit with guests and visitors. Through the years, The Algonquin Hotel has continued housing a resident feline.
The Algonquin Hotel
59 W. 44th Street
New York, NY
5:00 pm, August 12, 2009
About the Algonquin Hotel: A New York City landmark recently named to the National Trust Historic Hotels of America, the Algonquin Hotel is located in the heart of midtown Manhattan at 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, just steps from Broadway’s Theatres and world-class shopping. Home to Dorothy Parker’s famous Round Table and birthplace of the New Yorker magazine, the Algonquin Hotel is highly regarded by travelers the world over. The recent $4.5 million renovation effort focused on refreshing the hotel lobby, upgrading all guest rooms, laying new guestroom carpet and introducing new bedding to the 174-guestroom hotel ” creating a new era of elegance at the historically significant hotel. The hotel’s popular Oak Room, which has showcased musical talents such as Harry Connick, Jr., Andrea Marcovicci, Diana Krall and Peter Cincotti, serves dinner and offers cabaret performances Tuesday through Saturday. The legendary Algonquin Round Table of the 1920s is the inspiration for the current Round Table Room serving traditional American cuisine breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Blue Bar and Lobby also serve cocktails and other beverages throughout the day. The hotel features a fully-equipped fitness center and five meeting and function rooms, which can accommodate groups from 10 to 175. www.algonquinhotel.com
About North Shore Animal League America
North Shore Animal League America, headquartered in Port Washington, NY, is the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization. The Animal League reaches across the country to rescue, nurture and adopt approximately 20,000 pets into happy and loving homes every year. Since its founding 1944, it has placed close to 1 million puppies, kittens, cats and dogs into carefully screened homes. The Animal League is home to the Alex Lewyt Veterinary Medical Center, which provides 24-hour care for the sheltered pets and annually takes care of more than 10,000 outpatient visits, administers over 27,000 vaccinations, and performs over 14,000 free spay/neuter procedures for every adopted animal. For more information on North Shore Animal League America visit www.AnimalLeague.org.