The Airdrie and District Humane Society will be getting a hand from the Community Learning Campus later in July when the CLC hosts a benefit Strut Your Mutt walk/jog for the organization.
Brittany Ehmann, fitness programmer at the CLC, said the four-kilometre walk is meant to help a non-profit organization build a shelter in Central Alberta and “make sure that no animals in our area of Central Alberta are homeless,” she said.
Ehmann said the fitness centre believes in community engagement.
“We want to run events that community members can get involved in, they can bring their families and maintain that healthy, active lifestyle. We thought what better way to incorporate fitness and fitness for such a great cause (such as) raising money for the humane society,” she said.
Purple Kumai, executive director of the Airdrie and District Humane Society, said the society is still waiting to hear whether or not Olds College would include the society on its capital funding list. In March, the Albertan reported that preliminary discussions had been held between the two organizations potentially collaborating but that a decision on the college helping to fund the shelter had no timeline attached to it. That decision still hasn't been made.
“Personally, some of the directors will be taking our dogs (to the Strut Your Mutt event) as participants, not as representatives because we want to make sure that we take part in something for fun, we don't always want to be there working,” Kumai said.
The society always welcomes third-party groups to take on fundraising efforts on its behalf.
“We can't stress enough how important it is to have the community help us in our goal to get a shelter. The partnerships we've been able to make …have just been great,” she said.
The City of Airdrie approached the society to host a fundraising event to support it and will be hosting an event, Dog Day Afternoon, in Nose Hill Park on July 1 to benefit the society.
Registration for the event begins at 9:30 a.m. rain or shine near the Fine Arts and Multi-media Centre. The walk begins at 10 a.m. with a barbecue and a full day of activities to follow. Ehmann said among the activities, they hope that agility dogs can do a demonstration.
The cost of the event is $15 per individual or $25 per family. All funds raised will benefit the humane society.
"We can't stress enough how important it is to have the community help us in our goal to get a shelter. The partnerships we've been able to make ...have just been great."Purple Kumai, executive director, Airdrie and District Humane Society
