The Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s (HSSW) Walk/Run for the Animals event lets people and their dogs participate in a chip-timed 5K run, or a 3-mile walk to raise money for shelter animals. The Walk/Run takes place on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at Esther Short Park in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Runners and walkers will depart in waves starting at 9 am to accommodate what is expected to be large numbers of participants, followed by a Party in the Park.
Canines can accompany their owners and families on the run or walk, and have their photo taken in the photo booth. Dog lovers can watch dogs zip through an agility course or encourage their dog to test their abilities, and then participate in the Sit! Stay! Show Off! pet competition. Rojo the Llama will also be on hand at the party. HSSW encourages the community to come join in the fun!
Dogs from all backgrounds will be on parade at Esther Short Park during the fundraising event, including many that were adopted from HSSW. “It’s amazing to see 600 dogs in one place who all get along together so beautifully,” remarks Denise Barr, VP of Marketing at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. “There’s so much playfulness and excitement. It’s like one big family reunion.”
Cat lovers are having a huge impact for Walk/Run for the Animals, too. In fact, the fundraising teams that have raised the most money for the event’s 25th birthday celebration are Cat’s Rule! and the Big Meowski. Susan Immer, team captain of Cats Rule!, encourages people to walk with a picture of their cat at the event; but is also selling buttons that feature photos of HSSW shelter cats and dogs. “You can sponsor or honor a HSSW cat or dog by wearing a button,” Immer says. In addition to buttons, Cat’s Rule! team members are selling a variety of handcrafted cat- and dog-themed items to the public such as scented soaps with an embedded paw design. Sales are part of the team’s fundraising effort taking place in HSSW’s lobby daily between noon and 6 p.m. through Friday, May 6. Anyone can join one of the 35 fundraising teams and/or make an online donation until Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 9 am (the day of the event).
The Annual Walk/Run for the Animals is funded in part by the Thomas A. Plein Foundation, Riverview Community Bank, Waste Connections, Main Event Sports Grill, Mud Bay, VCA and Leonardo’s Pizzeria. For more information, visit Walk/Run for the Animals at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.
