Action at the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter is expected to pick up in the next couple of months with organizations lending a helping hand.
Dallis Knight recently announced a fall festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Parks & Recreation Center, located on West Mill Street, from noon to 2 p.m. as a fundraiser to benefit the animals of Carter County and Elizabethton.
Knight’s sister, Glenda Taylor DeLawder, left a $1.2 million estate to benefit animals in the region with roughly $500,000 earmarked for work at the animal shelter, including an additional room to house cats, dog runs for the outside and a van to assist with spay/neuter, foster and event travel.
The DeLawder estate and Friends of the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter Group will use funds raised from the event to benefit a variety of facets, from spay/neuter to sponsorship adoptions at the facility.
Partnering with the estate has been a joy over the past year, according to Friends of the Animal Shelter chair Mike Barnett.
“The estate has done so much for our shelter through the Mayor’s Office, the Advisory Board and the Friends Group to fund the new addition at the shelter. We’re also looking at putting in the dog runs outside,” Barnett said. “We’re very appreciative of the gift and Dallis has always had a great desire to do more. We’re looking forward to offering the fall festival to help the animals of the community.”
Two hours of fun will be on tap for attendees of the event. Knight indicated the festival will feature a variety of events, ranging from a dessert dash to yard sales.
Another interesting addition to the event, Knight said, is a local celebrity lock-up. During the event, notable names from the community will be locked up. The only way to exit is for the citizens to post “bail”. The event is free of charge to attend but donations are encouraged. Auctions will also be underway during the day, along with the yard sale, to raise additional funds.
Vendor opportunities are also available, Knight added. Individuals wanting to participate as a vendor, an “inmate”, or have items to donate for the auction/yard sale can contact Knight at (301) 991-0620.
The fall festival will also be discussed during next week’s Friends’ meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. inside City Hall.
Barnett recently told the Elizabethton Star that the meeting will be used to reenergize the volunteer, foster and rescue base for Carter County and Elizabethton.
“Our Friends Group really needs to get back up with the people that can get involved,” he added. “That doesn’t mean you’re just a volunteer. We’re looking for people that can help organize adoption events, help with our social media presence and even gauge the interest of someone who’d like to offer photography services to help take photos of the animals. Our goal is to do what’s in the best interest of the animals. We’re going to compile a list of volunteers and others wanting to help and go through the vetting process to make sure we have the people in place that can assist our shelter staff and be an asset to our animals.”
Before the festival, the animal shelter will host an adoption event on September 29 from noon to 4:30 p.m. and September 30 at Petsense from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. All adoptions fees are sponsored, allowing citizens to adopt an animal free of charge.