Our Greatest Fundraiser of the Year

Thanks to everyone who helped make Dressed to the K9s 2023 the best event to date! Because of your generosity, we’re excited to announce that we raised over $50,000 for the Thumper Fund!

The evening at The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) was an exceptional one. The low sun beamed down onto the lawn so our guests could enjoy light fare from Epicure Catering outside, and the air was cool enough for a few shelter pets to mingle. We had our first ever merchandise table fully equipped with brand new C.A.R.E. tees, hoodies, tote bags, and more! Thanks to our generous friends, Steve and Wewer Keohane, we sold greeting cards that featured a collection of the Keohane’s favorite dog and cat themed prints, and mixed media expressions.

Whether guests were grabbing friends to strike a pose at Okim Photobooth (check out the live gallery here!), admiring the stunning flower arrangements by Botanicals Floral Art centering each table, or catching up with old friends, smiles were had all around. One of the most exciting parts of the evening were the gourmet chocolate bars by Pollinator Chocolate. Two of the chocolate bars contained Golden Tickets. Those who purchased a chocolate bar had a chance at unwrapping a Golden Ticket and winning one of our two prize packages. Thank you to our sponsors at Aspen Skiing Company, Viewline Resort Snowmass, Hotel Colorado, Sunlight Mountain Resort, Blazing Adventures, and Four Mile Creek Bed & Breakfast for contributing to shelter pets and making our prize packages incredible wins!

Guests were ushered into TACAW’s theater for the main program. Our Executive Director, Wes Boyd, welcomed everyone to this year’s event. He invited the C.A.R.E. Team on stage for a round of applause, followed by inviting Connie Calaway to award this year’s Animaltarians of the Year, Robb and Alice Angier. C.A.R.E.’s Board Vice Chair, Faith Lipori, emceed Fashion & Fur, a Canine Fashion Show, before our Thumper Fund pet of the evening, Watson, took to the stage. The Thumper Fund is a program that provides extraordinary veterinary care to shelter pets in need, and Watson was one of the recipients of the Thumper Fund in 2023. We were ecstatic to have Watson and his family, Jeffrey and Angela, join us at the event and meet the crowd.

C.A.R.E.’s Board Chair, Roger Sheffield, joined Wes for live fundraising, which allowed our guests to tell personal stories about pets in their lives and make a pledge in their honor. We were moved by the kindness and selflessness of our guests, and carried these emotions with us as the young thespians of SOL Theatre Company closed out the evening. Arfie’s Story was brought to life as they portrayed Arfie, a homeless pup looking for a family to love him and call their own. The story had a sweet ending with a slideshow of the young actors’ and actresses’ personal pets flooding the screen (most of which are C.A.R.E. alumni!). Many eyes were misty as they exited the theater and made their way to the dessert table filled with pumpkin cupcakes, turtle brownies, and more courtesy of Sunshine & Moons Bakery. It truly was a magical night!

Thanks to you, Dressed to the K9s 2023 was our greatest fundraiser of the year. We can’t wait to see you next year!