Monroe County Humane Association hosted its 28th Run for the Animals and Barktoberfest on Oct. 1 at Karst Farm Park. The 5K started at 9 a.m. with registration and ended at 1 p.m. Afterwards, there was an awards ceremony and two contests.
According to the MCHA website, it is a non-profit organization offering veterinary services, education to pet owners and animal care resources to ensure animals in the community get the love and care they deserve.
The event raised more than $10,000 and this year marked one of the largest turnouts of runners in the race’s history, MCHA Executive Director Andrew Krebbs said.
He said before the event, they had 27 vendors and 270 pre-registered runners. The money raised from the event came from sponsorships, local businesses and organizations, vendors, a raffle and the registration fee for the race.
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The organization partnered with Monroe County Parks and Recreation for the event. Monroe County Parks and Recreation helped reserve the space for the event, put up markers for the race and created leash-free zones for dogs to walk around in.
“I want people to know that we have some incredible resources in Monroe County for animal welfare, and Monroe County Humane Association is really proud to be at the forefront for animal advocacy, to provide many of those services and to partner with so many great organizations that are here today with us,” Krebbs said.
The event aimed to raise awareness about animal welfare in Monroe County.
“When COVID hit we slowed down and went virtual, which means we weren’t here but people could still register to run, get their t-shirts, and do it on their own,” Audrey Windsor, development chair on the MCHA board of directors, said. “Last year was our first year back with Barktoberfest and the run and we still saw some people who were hesitant to be out. This year we doubled the amount of vendors and added the raffle.”
At this year’s event, participants could visit food trucks and learn more about local businesses, animal care services and the endangered wildlife in Indiana. Participants could also enter their pets in a peanut butter eating contest or the costume contest.
“I love this organization, so I will do anything to support that I can, especially if it involves seeing cute dogs in costumes,” Leigh Isaac, the secretary for the MCHA board of directors, said.
She said she loves events like this because it’s a chance to volunteer for things outside of work and enjoy cute dogs.
“I think today went really well,” Isaac said. “The crowd was big and we had a lot of runners sign up.”
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