Stoney Creek's Wag-A-Thon
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on March 28, 2010 1:50 AM
A parade of local dogs and their owners came out to support the kick-off for fundraising for a future dog park at Stoney Creek Park Saturday.
The Stoney Creek Park Alliance seeks to raise $40,000 for a fenced-in dog park at East Ash Street's Stoney Creek Park, a concept that would allow dogs to run leash-less under owner supervision inside the enclosure.
On Saturday, what organizers called a "Wag-A-Thon" served as the official kickoff for the multitude of fundraising activities in search of their financial goal.
Two attendees, couple Michael Meadows and Lori Duensing of Pikeville, said that in the past, they have driven up to an hour from home to visit similar facilities.
"I've taken them out to other dog parks, out in Raleigh, out that way," Ms. Duensing said. "Now that we live out here, we don't have anything in this area, so I'm excited about the possibility of having something close by."
Local obstetrician Dr. Peter Roethling has played an active role in developing Stoney Creek Park, starting with the building of trails.
"(The Stoney Creek Park Alliance) has evolved a lot over time, but it was initially focused on the trails and running," Roethling said. "It's really expanded."
Roethling, said he was not sure how much money Saturday's event would raise.
The event was not so much a direct plea for money as it was a promotion for other fundraising efforts.
One such effort are what the group calls "Paw Pavers," which are painted tiles that dog owners can buy to "commemorate" their dogs. The paver tiles, which cost $35 per dog, will be displayed at the completed dog park.
A similar idea, personalized donor dog tags that acknowledge the level of giving from a donor, defined as "Show Dogs" ($100), "Best in Class" ($500) and "Best in Show" ($1,000). The personalized tags will also be displayed permanently at the dog park.
Another choice for donors is painted fire hydrants -- for $500, the donor can choose a fire hydrant painted by an artist from the Arts Council of Wayne County. The hydrant can then be displayed wherever the donor chooses.
"Over the last year, we came up with ... long-term fundraising ideas," Roethling said. "We're using ... this as an occasion to get all the dog lovers together and interested in making the park happen."
Inquiries about how to donate to the Stoney Creek Dog Park can be sent by e-mail, to scdogpark @aol.com.
To adopt a dog from Diamonds in the Ruff, contact Ms. Wheeler at 919-222-0500.
Terri Wood, the area coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, can be reached at 704-559-4121, or by e-mail at [email protected].