Laughter, food and winning were a part of this year's full scale comedy fundraiser in support of the Pembina Valley Humane Society (PVHS) Saturday night at the Days Inn Conference Centre.
Fundraising Chair Caitlyn Parr shared how the night played out.
"We had a really great night. We had something called 'Raise the Woof,' which is a comedy show. We had two comedians performing, Dustin Williamson and Myles Morrison. In addition to that, we had a band open up for us this year called 'One Night Only' because that's how many times they planned to play together from what I understand. They were absolutely fantastic and it really set the mood for the night. We had a beautiful meal catered by Exceptional Thymes and all kinds of great prizes, including a WestJet flight and tons of people. It was just so much fun."
Parr described what it was like to be back in full form.
"It was our first full capacity event since pandemic restrictions. During the pandemic we had two Raise the Woofs. They were both within all the parameters that had been set out and they were successful for what we could allow, at the time. But this is our first full scale event back, and our first time coming back to our former glory, with the size and scale of the event, and it felt amazing. It was electric in there, and everybody was smiling, and it was bustling, and or the energy was fantastic."
The sold-out event raised $10,000, and Parr explained where the funds will go.
"Right now, we've got quite a few vet bills that have been coming through because of an increased influx of animals, and it allows us to start dreaming more about our future. We're thinking about possible ways that we can expand our services and work with the community in more capacities to helping all those dogs and cats and help the people to love and care for them even better."
She went on to express her feelings about the community support shown through Raise the Woof.
"It's heart filling. I was walking on air all Sunday, seeing everybody so excited and willing, and immediately after the event we had a person approach us asking if they could contribute to our silent auction next year. It makes it feel like the organization is valued in the community and that is invaluable."