Feeling down? Need to relax? Your pet may be able to help! Pets help lower blood pressure, help their owners exercise, give them companionship, enhance moods, help fight loneliness, and many other health benefits. Pets truly are our wingmen!
Bring your family, friends and your pet for a day out at Minot’s Oak Park on Saturday, August 10, 2024. The Souris Valley Animals Shelter (SVAS), a no-kill and fear-free shelter, is holding its Lend-a-Paw 5K Color Run from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., a 1-Mile Walk/Jog/Roll from 10:45 to 11:00 and a Fundraiser Festival Day from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
According to Haley Burchett, SVAS’s Communication, Development, and Public Relations Director, the SVAS’s rebranding is about redefining what’s important in the organization to the eyes of the public. The fundraiser is to help SVAS make their policies and procedures more transparent to the public. It’s about cultivating new relationships, trying to restore and rebuild existing relationships, and trying to move forward and use the “power of the present” in a big way with changes to promote health, wellness, and mental health. Burchett states, “We want to use this event as a way to bring as many [people] together as we can in the community and really show the community what we’re all about. And what we’re all about is saving as many animals as we can.”
SVAS’s Lend-a-Paw 5K Color Run and 1-Mile Walk/Jog/Roll and the Fundraiser Festival Day will celebrate the impact that pets, service dogs, and the emotional support that animals have on their owner’s well-being and lend a paw to their owners in need. SVAS chose green, blue, and orange for the 5K Color Run colors. This event supports everyday needs and medical care for the animals at the shelter. Caring for pets doesn’t come free. The SVAS Lend-a-Paw 5K Color Run and 1-Mile Walk/Jog/Roll and the Fundraiser Festival Day webpage lists admission prices and what those fees cover to care for a pet. For example, a single admission cost of $45.00 provides food, toys, and exercise for one dog for one day. A $115.00 family of three admission provides vaccination for three adult cats.
The Fundraiser Festival will feature a bouncy castle, balloon animals, glitter tattoos, a mermaid princess, face painting, and axe throwing. When individuals register for the color run, walk/jog/roll, the fees also include the festival admission and the activities, except face painting. If individuals only wish to attend the festival, the entrance fee is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.
Titan enjoying what it feels like to be loved by his new owners.
To register for this event: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/svaslendapaw5k/register/form/classification
Also, people can visit the Facebook page created for this event. In the About section of the event, scroll down for the link to register. Ads on Facebook posts will also have links to register.
Monty’s Heart of Texas BBQ, Backdraft BBQ, and Bear’s Kitchen food trucks will be at the festival for those who wish to purchase it, and DJ Monti Entertainment and Musik Worx will provide the music. There will also be Pawcaso art space if people want to create an art piece with their pet, such as a paw print or prints. Each canvas board is $5.00.
SVAS wants to show the community what they’re about, so come and see the SVAS in action. The 5K Color Run and 1-Mile Walk/Jog/Roll + Fundraiser Festival Day will be an awesome event. This is Minot’s only and first annual event to celebrate the emotional and psychological support that pets, service dogs, and emotional support animals do for their humans. It’s a good way to show community support, lift each other up, and have fun while supporting the animals. No. Our wingmen.
