Barkaritaville 2011 a Success!

The third annual Barkaritaville, SRC/F’s annual fundraiser, was a huge success!  The day started out rather gloomy, with a chill in the air and some drizzle.  But that didn’t stop folks from coming and it being a fantastic day.  By 8 am, Gil Lynn Park was buzzing with activity as SRC members arrived and began setting up.   Pretty soon the Gil Lynn shelter house was full of goodies:  loads of raffle baskets, sales tables stocked with lots of cute things for both dogs and humans, and some really awesome items for our silent auction and special raffles.  And soon the sounds of people socializing and dogs barking could be heard as folks began arriving for the official start of the day.  How neat to see so many schnauzers in one place, all colors and sizes, each one special and unique!

The event kicked out with official announcements and soon everyone was having fun.  SRC members strolled around offering raffle tickets for purchase and a chance at the Split the Pot raffle.  Lots of wonderful baked items were also available for purchase and folks enjoyed some sugary sweets to kick off the morning.  The smell of JTM BBQ began filling the air as the crock pots were fired up to prepare for lunch.  A big thank you to our food donors, JTM Food Group, Frisch’s, and PepsiCo/New Bern Transport Corporation for providing a wonderful lunch that could be purchased for a $5 donation.  And also to all the members or adopters who provided all the baked goods to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.



Charlie Hurt demonstrates grooming

 Throughout the day various events went on.  We had wonderful demonstrations by Ann Briggs and her dogs Daisy and Cappy, who showed off their obedience skills and tricks.  They were amazing and it was obvious to see Ann has worked hard with them.  Ray Ford and his friend Kathy cut some rug and wowed us with their ballroom dancing skills.  Some of us were jealous because we have two left feet!   And Charlie Hurt showed us how to make our dogs look beautiful by doing a grooming demonstration.  We all know those crazy schnauzers have to be kept groomed to stay looking snazzy and it was nice to get some tips for those of us who groom our own dogs.

Blessing of the animals and rescuers

As the afternoon went on, the sun decided to grace us with its presence and shine down on our day!  And we were literally blessed, as were all the dogs, when Brother Robert Wooten from Florence Baptist Church made time out of his busy day to stop by and do a Blessing of the Animals.  People and dogs alike gathered in a circle and reflected on our lives and faith as Brother Wooten said his prayers.  After that, it was time for contests, one of the most popular parts of the event.  Diane and Paul Blankenship did a fantastic job of running the contests and making sure each winner received a framed certificate to hang on their wall at home.  With so many wonderful and talented dogs, it was tough to decide who the winners were.

Finally, the day began to wind down and it was hard to believe it was almost over.  Silent auction, special raffle and raffle basket winners were announced.  Many folks went home with some nice items and I am sure there were many doggies who made out like bandits with all the goodies their owners won or purchased for them!   Folks began to pack up and say their goodbyes, each of us promising to stay in touch and meet again next year.

This event, our biggest fundraiser for the year, could not take place without the effort, time and money from many, many people.  I would like to first thank our business donors.  Without them, we could not save so many wonderful schnauzers and we are very fortunate to have such wonderful businesses supporting our cause. 

This year’s business donors (THANK YOU!) were:  JTM Food Group, Frisch’s, PepsiCo/New Bern Transport Corporation, Animal Ark Pet Resort, Towne Square Animal Clinic, Animals Ink, United Pet Group/Dingo Brand, Four Paws Design, U.S Bones, Thankful Paws Donation Coats and Apparel, www.doginyard.com, Designs by Hubbard, Bell Rock Growers, Merrick Pet Products, Coastal Pet Products, CloudStar, TinkerBell Paws and Amanda Evans Photography.

And of course, the event would not be possible without the efforts of many SRC members and adopters.  Whether you donated an item for sale or raffle, made baked goods or brought other munchies, volunteered to set up and help for the event or just showed up and participated, it is much appreciated!  SRC/F is so very lucky to have such wonderful members, past adopters and general supporters.  I would like to say a special thanks though to Diana Umstead, Michelle Andrews, Jody Porter and Pat Miller for being the core planning committee.  We made a great team!  So many went above and beyond to make Barkaritaville 2011 another great success.  Many more fur faces can be saved with the money we made and the fellowship and camaraderie we all experienced made it even better.   Now, time to start thinking about next year! 

Amy Meyer, SRC/F Fundraising Coordinator

Amy and Zippy

The Littler crew adjusting their leashitude

Tye Blankenship enjoys his ride

Be sure to visit our website at: http://www.schnauzerrescuecincinnati.org/

Consider making a donation to Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati/Florida for the holidays.  We are a 501(c)(3) that is run by volunteers and all donations go directly to the care of foster dogs being housed by our volunteers.  You can make a donation at (please scroll down to our PayPal link): http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/OH447.html