Pub crawling for pups: Pints for Pets returns Saturday, added to big downtown holiday lineup
Published 10:50 am Wednesday, November 22, 2017
It’s time for the annual Danville-Boyle County Humane Society’s pub crawl fundraiser, and organizers are pumped it happens on a hopping night this year. Pints for Pets returns Saturday to join in on all the holiday hype downtown.
“There’s the parade, shopping … it will be a fun event. It’s just one of those things we are thrilled to be a part of,” says Paige Matthews, executive director of DBCHS.
Held in conjunction with Shop Small Saturday, the Danville Christmas Parade, the tree lighting and opening night of the ice skating at Weisiger Park, pub crawlers can receive discounted items at participating venues by wearing a purchased T-shirt. Those places include Beer Engine, Plank on Main, Bluegrass Pizza and Pub, Frank’s Hot Dog Emporium, Jane Barleycorn’s Bar and Market and Brothers’ BBQ.
Also, mention DBCHS when paying entrance to ice skate, and the shelter will receive 10 percent of your fee as a donation.
To be a part of the crawl that night, head to West T. Hill Community Theatre on Larrimore Lane any time between 4-7 p.m. Saturday. Get there early — they can’t guarantee all sizes will be available.
“They always let us set up there (at WTH),” Fizzy Ramsey, the shelter’s board president, says. “They’ve been great to us.” She says the shelter has more than appreciated all the support and donations over the past pub crawls, and they are hoping this year to be the best yet.
For those who want to be prepared, shirts may also be purchased at the humane society at 778 North Danville Bypass.If T-shirts run out, or if someone prefers, bracelets will also be for sale.
This year’s design was created by Ramsey, who set out to replicate the “Abbey Road” design, but with dogs crossing Danville’s Main Street. A good friend of the shelter, Kristen Scherer, helped with photo editing to get it ready for the T-shirt design. Scherer is also contributing other talents to the night, as “Spot,” the mascot for DBCHS will be out and about adding to the holiday cheer.
(Photo contributed)
“Spot,” the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society’s mascot, will be running around town during the crawl.
Ramsey says make sure and get pictures taken with the upbeat mascot.
“And hit Spot up for glow sticks — he’ll be handing them out, they’re fun and add to the festivities and help the kids be more visible at night,” Ramsey says.
(Scherer, who has done previous gigs as a mascot in high school, for a radio station and other events, is “coming out of retirement” to don the Spot-suit.)
Get in on the passport, 50/50 raffle
As in past years, DBCHS board members will be posted at various locations, offering any information needed about volunteering. But new this year, Ramsey says a passport will be used by each crawler who picks up a T-shirt or bracelet, which is stamped at every participating location visited.
Each person will be entered to win prizes if they visit at least four of the six locations, and turn in passports in to a board member at their last stop.Or, passports may be turned into the DBCHS by Monday to be considered for prizes.
Prizes to be given away include Norton Center tickets, $30 gift cards to Movie Tavern at Brannon Crossing, Posh Pet gift baskets and more.
And also new this year, the donation boxes will be replaced with a 50/50 raffle. Those who purchase tickets are entered to win — which means DBCHS will split the pot of winnings with the raffle winner at the end of the night.
Music will be around town, too – aside from the holiday offerings downtown. Mike Archer will offer acoustic songs at Plank, and DJ Michael “Fly” Hughes will be set up at Brothers’ for those who want to add some dance to their crawl.
Why donate
The money raised by selling the T-shirts goes directly into the operating budget of the DBCHS.
“Our mission is to promote the humane treatment of companion animals through sheltering, adoptions, community education and spay/neuter programs. If you haven’t been to see us since the new Katherine E. Nelsen Adoption Center has opened, we’d love for you to stop by so we can show you around,” Ramsey says.
Any T-shirts left over from the evening will continue to be for sale at the shelter. And, as always, those who can’t participate in the fundraiser are more than welcome to drop any of the much-needed items off at DBCHS.
Matthews says the shelter is always in need of puppy and kitten food, old blankets and any kind of laundry detergent. “We do laundry all day long, and since the weather is getting cold, we’ll be using more and more blankets. So any items like that will always help.”
The fundraiser is so important because the shelter wants to be able to keep its adoption fees affordable.
“It’s quite an expense. It costs a lot to spay and neuter animals, which is required before they’re adopted out. Three rounds of immunization …” keeping them healthy and clean, she says — it all adds up. “The donations help tremendously with the day-to-day operation, and just overall health of the animals.”
And the volunteers are so important — for so many reasons, Ramsey and Matthews both say.
“We don’t have a lot of full-time staff, so the volunteers are key in helping us really socialize the animals, be able to just get them out now that we have this fantastic run out front …”
Volunteers can stop in at any time at their office, on the North Danville Bypass, and fill out a form to be entered into the data base. Although the shelter takes walk-in volunteers, sometimes it’s not the best way to make the most of the person’s time, Matthews says.
“We want to make sure their time is worthwhile for them as well as for us, so we try to schedule as much as we can,” she says. Some of the biggest needs are over the weekends, when the shelter gears up for taking puppies to PetSmart. They all have to be washed and readied, and it’s usually up to about 10 pups.
“But we have all kinds of projects for everyone — paperwork that needs to be organized, cleaning, you name it,” Matthew says.
“It’s a win-win. Come and play with dogs. It’s good for the person, and it’s good for the animal to have that human interaction. We always need people, just to help get the dogs socialized, get them used to people,” Ramsey says. “It gives them a better chance of finding a forever-home, and that’s what we’re all about.”
IF YOU GO
Get your 2017 Pints for Pets T-shirt for $20 (sizes small-extra large) or $22 (size 2XL) by stopping in at the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society, 778 N. Danville Bypass, or from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 at West. T. Hill Community Theatre, 117 Larrimore Lane. For more information, call (859) 238-1117 or email dbchs@bellsouth.net.
