Raising money through a ruckus
BUTLER TWP — Five-year-old Myrtle had to be carried to and set down on the starting line for her first-ever race Sunday afternoon, Aug. 20, and ended up coming in a close second in a sprint that lasted about six seconds.
The wiener dog’s owner, Alyssa Garcia, said she brought Myrtle to the third annual Ruckus for All event at the 11th Frame Bar and Grille to compete in the race mainly to help the cause it was part of — fundraising for Community Care Connections.
“It was her first race so she’s pretty nervous; she’s learning,” said Garcia, of Butler, who was wearing a “Myrtle’s Mob” T-shirt alongside other members of her family. “We just came to have fun with the dogs and support the organization.”
Community Care Connections is a Butler-based organization that provides programs for people with disabilities, and its CEO, Brenda Cole, said Ruckus for All is its only annual fundraiser.
Cole said the organization’s administrators were looking for ways to raise money for its programming three years ago, and pitched that an outdoor activity festival would be a good way to fund raise. While everyone was invited to attend the free event, Cole said it was meant to be accessible to people with disabilities, the main target of Community Care Connection’s programs.
“What I like most of all about this is people with disabilities come,” Cole said. “It’s for empowerment and inclusion — the people who we are raising funds for are here, and that is really important to us.”
Tents were set up in the 11th Frame’s parking lot, in addition to carnival-style games, including one where players had to throw a ball to knock over a stack of cans and one where they had to get a bulls-eye with a Velcro ball.
The wiener dog race, which Traci Cutway, assistant payroll manager for Community Care Connections, said was the idea of Nancy Rittenhouse, another employee of the agency, was a new addition to the day’s events. Cutway said wiener dog races are a regular competition at the Meadows Casino in Washington County.
“We were just discussing fun ideas we could bring here,” Cutway said. “There’s nothing around here for people who want to do this with their dogs on a smaller scale.”
Set up inside the 11th Frame were numerous raffle baskets, which Cole said were donated by local organizations and businesses. The baskets and sponsorships are the main way Ruckus for All raises money, she said.
The event typically raises about $20,000 each time it takes place, according to Cole, and she and other administrators hoped to reach that amount again this year.
Cole said money from Community Care Connections can be used to help people in a variety of situations.
“We do the fundraiser each year and the proceeds help support people in need,” Cole said. “The people we serve may be in a pinch, and for that we can help with whatever the need is.”
