(Photo | Courtesy of Street Dog Hero)
2022 Nonprofit of the Year Recipient Holds Third Annual 5k Race Benefit
The numbers are in! Street Dog Hero’s (SDH) third annual Heroes on the Run 5k benefit has surpassed its $75,000 goal with record attendance.
The $75,000 goal was set to help Street Dog Hero execute their mission of rescuing and adopting dogs, low- and no-cost spay/neuter/wellness in Central Oregon and Mexico, and further their educational and outreach efforts. They flew by their lofty objective, raising over $86,000, which will assist the organization in their goal of providing significantly more spay, neuter and wellness services locally, with a focus on areas and populations in which animals are least likely to receive care. The organization intends to begin regular low-cost wellness and vaccination clinics this fall, hosted at the new facility and has already started planning low-cost spay and neuter clinics to begin in 2023.
The event brought in 207 runners (not including their four-legged companions) for the 5K “fun run,” 57 happy-faced kiddo-runners and 530 attendees with dogs-in-tow!
“It was such an amazing day!” said Diana Fischetti, SDH executive director. “With so much preparation on the part of the amazing SDH team, volunteers and sponsors, I was overwhelmed with joy when the race was off. The event far exceeded any of our expectations; we had more people and pups attend, more activities and vendors, and we raised more funds than we expected!”
With pristine late-September Central Oregon weather, the event went off without a hitch; featuring an array of local (dog AND people-centric) vendors, a built-in hype-squad with Mountain View High School’s cheerleaders and live performances from Gotta Dance Studios and ISU Vana mamba. The event also touted local refreshments with a 10 Barrel and Cascade Lakes Brewing beer garden, Thump coffee, snow cones, hot dogs and a MASSIVE raffle that included a two-person cruise to a destination of choice.
“Watching our fundraisers grow over the last five years has been an unbelievable experience, and it still doesn’t seem real,” said Marianne Cox, Founder and Board President of SDH. “Words can’t explain the feeling I got at HOTR this year. I am grateful to everyone who supported us this year and continues to support us year after year. I was speechless and in awe of our community who came together to help dogs in need both near and far.”
This event was supported by dozens of local businesses; including Cascade Design Center, Fall River Health and First Interstate Bank. Cascade Design Center President and the very first foster for Street Dog Hero, Ronda Fitton says, that Street Dog Hero is “…a positive organization to donate your time and resources; a place where your kids can learn about responsible pet ownership; a place where so many people get to make a difference as easily as flying home from vacation with a puppy in tow. I’m proud to support Marianne and this organization and I’m grateful to live in Bend where we, as a community, foster and embrace this type of change.”
SDH serves dogs in need worldwide and their communities through rescue, adoption, wellness, spay/neuter and education. This event coincides with the organization’s five-year anniversary and the opening of its first-ever brick-and-mortar facility. To date, the organization has rescued over 2,200 dogs from more than a dozen countries like Mexico, South Korea and right here in the United States. Street Dog Hero has also provided more than 1,450 free or reduced-rate spay/neuter and other wellness services to owned and street dogs and cats around the world. Street Dog Hero is making lasting positive changes in the lives of animals and their humans, working towards a world where all dogs are healthy, safe, cared for and wanted.
SDH already looks forward to next year’s Heroes on the Run event, which is bound to be even bigger and better. Visit streetdoghero.org to find out about more upcoming events from SDH and learn how you can help support this fantastic work.
About Street Dog Hero:
Street Dog Hero programs operate on two levels simultaneously. Its Rescue, Foster, Adopt Program saves dogs that need to be rescued from neglect, hunger and abuse, providing them with wellness, sterilization, transportation, fostering and adoption. In the U.S., SDH has rescued and adopted dogs from Central Oregon, California, Texas, Ohio and Puerto Rico. And abroad from Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, British Virgin Islands, China, Guam, India, Mexico, Romania, South Korea, St. Thomas and Thailand. And, its Spay, Neuter, Wellness Program addresses the root causes of pet overpopulation, while improving companion animal health and fitness but providing care like vaccines.
