Oakley is used to dressing up for special occasions. The dachshund wore his tux last Halloween to the PetSmart in Fayetteville, where owner Ben Mazzucco showed him off. Mazzucco will bring Oakley to the Winterville Doggie Parade on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Ron Wetherbee
By Jennifer L. Johnson - news@onlineathens.com
Published Monday, April 05, 2010
Fido and the family will get the chance to strut their stuff in Winterville - just don't call the parade a "catwalk."
The Friends of the Winterville Library, a nonprofit group working to raise money for the public library, is hosting the Winterville Doggie Parade on Saturday. Dogs and their owners can participate in a costume parade - even without paying - and those who pay an entry fee can compete for prizes.
The $5 contest registration fee and all proceeds from the event will be donated to the Winterville Library.
The fundraiser is the first big event for the Friends of the Winterville Library since the opening of its Front Porch Bookstore in December. The used books sold at the store are modestly priced, from a quarter for mass-market paperbacks to $3 for hardbacks. Things like audio books, DVDs and special collections cost a little more, depending on the item. All the proceeds from sales are donated to the library.
The bookstore - staffed entirely by Friends volunteers - will be open until 4 p.m. the day of the parade.
"Every day, I see tons of people walking by the store with their dogs," said Front Porch manager Ron Wetherbee, who came up with the idea for the doggie costume contest. "We really wanted to get people involved in coming out, enjoying themselves and at the same time, let everyone know that the bookstore is here."
Athens-Clarke Animal Control will have pets available for adoption after the parade, and Athens-based Lucky Dog Agility will let dogs try running an agility course next to the bookstore.
Two-legged family members can get in on the action, too. The folks at Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful will hold a "Scoop-the-Poop Relay," in which contestants of all ages will race to pick up plastic props that look like the real thing.
The Friends will provide plastic bags for poop - the real kind - as well as bowls of water for the visiting dogs.
The event is meant to be low-key and fun, and the costume contest really isn't competitive, according to Friends board member Deborah Goldberg. There will be several prizes in other categories, like the dog who travels the farthest for the event or one for the pooch that's older than the other tail-wagging contestants.
"That way, everybody gets a shot at helping the Winterville Library," Goldberg said. "We're not dog experts. This is a day that's about having fun."
Register for the contest at 9 a.m. Saturday at Front Porch Bookstore on Marigold Lane. The pet parade will make its loop around Winterville Square at 10 a.m.
Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Monday, April 05, 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment