The Borders store located at 3025 Kirby (at Alabama) will be hosting a 2009 Astros Player & Pet Calendar autograph signing event on Saturday, September 27th from 10 am - noon.

Astros players Doug Brocail, Dave Borkowski, Geoff Geary, Brian Moehler and Chris Sampson will be on hand to offer complimentary autographs on the calendars (due to time constraints, autographs are limited to calendars only) which are hot off the presses and will be for sale at the event.

Well-known Houston photographer Evin Thayer donated his time to photograph fan favorites including Brad Ausmus, Brandon Backe, Lance Berkman, Dave Borkowski, Doug Brocail, Darin Erstad, Geoff Geary, Carlos Lee, Brian Moehler, Hunter Pence, Chris Sampson, Miguel Tejada, Jose Valverde and Ty Wigginton (plus Mark Loretta and Wesley Wright on the inside cover). Each player posed with his own pet or with a homeless animal from the Houston Humane Society (HHS).

The 14-month wall calendars (January 2009 through February 2010) are $15 each and include a coupon for a complimentary one-night stay for your dog or cat at Pet Paradise (new customers only).

Thanks to the generosity of pet friendly Hotel Derek, Pet Paradise and TGS-Nopec Geophysical Company, who covered the expenses associated with the project, all of the proceeds will benefit the Houston Humane Society (HHS) and the Astros in Action Foundation. Petco and Borders have also joined the team and will carry the calendars in their Houston area stores (also available in Petco stores in Austin , TX ). The calendars can also be found - starting in mid to late September - at The Astros Team Store in Minute Maid Park , the souvenir stores in Corpus Christi and Round Rock, the Houston Humane Society, the Houston Humane Society's Animal Kingdom store in the Shops at Houston Center and online at www.houstonhumane.org.

The Houston Humane Society is a non-profit animal shelter dedicated to eliminating cruelty, abuse and the overpopulation of animals. HHS receives no federal, state, or local funds and relies solely on donations, special events and fundraisers like the Astros Player & Pet Calendar to care for the animals and fund programs. HHS provides a wide variety of animal welfare services to Houston area residents and pets including pet adoptions, humane education and Houston 's only $30 spay/neuter clinic for the general public.

The Houston Astros also remain committed to helping the community. The Astros in Action Foundation sponsors a number of community events during the course of the year. In 2007 alone, the Foundation held the following events: Astros Race for the Pennant, Astros Spring Training Week of Caring, Astros Wives Charity Softball Game, baseball clinics at Boys & Girls Clubs, Fielder's Choice School Visits, Impact a Hero Day, Literacy Day at the Ballpark, Prostate Cancer Awareness Day, Stroke Awareness Day, the Astros Wives Gala benefiting the Houston Area Women's Center and more.