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Date: 5/4/2022
SPRINGFIELD – To welcome the warm weather of spring, the Dakin Humane Society is hosting a 5K fundraising benefit “Will Run for Cookies” on May 15 at Stanley Park. Check-in and registration will take place at 9 a.m. before the race begins at 10:30 a.m.
For Dakin, the benefit marks the first year of an annual new event. Community Engagement Manager Kaitlyn Holloway shared that animal shelter considered several ideas before landing on the “Will Run for Cookies” approach.
“Our group was looking to pair elements of a 5K with something pet related. We went back and forth on a lot of different ideas and landed on this, because who doesn’t love cookies,” said Holloway.
Holloway explained that the 5K welcomes walkers and runners to participate with their dogs. Participating dogs must wear a non-retractable leash. After completing the trek, participants and their pets receive cookies in celebration of their experience. Holloway said the event aspires for participants to appreciate the “sweet bond” between humans and their pets.
“We wanted to take something that people enjoy and make it a little bit sweeter,” said Holloway.
Dakin continues to coordinate the event with humans and their pets in mind. Bru Biscuits will sponsor the event and distribute cookies to each dog participant, while Dakin will provide human cookies. Holloway also shared that Stanley Park represents a fitting setting for both parties.
“Stanley Park was a really great option for us. They’re well-known. It’s a beautiful park. They’re pet friendly and they’ve been great to work with. They have a really nice layout and have other 5Ks that participate there that are able to keep it within the park,” said Holloway, who said the race will take place on a mixture of grass and paved ground.
Proceeds for the event will go to benefit Dakin’s programs to keep people and their pets together. The animal shelter is continuing to expand in their assistance efforts, including a pet food aid program and the recent addition of a pet support group that meets monthly. In 2021, Dakin distributed about 500,000 pounds of pet food to families in need, according to Holloway.
“A lot of those things are really designed to strengthen that bond between people and their pets. We want to make sure we have services available so people can keep their pets with them,” said Holloway.
Online registration for the “Will Run for Cookies event is currently open at https://racewire.com/register.php?id=12627. Participants can also sign up during the morning of the 5K. Sponsors for the event include Rovi Homes, Berkshire Bank, Finck & Perras Insurance Agency, Health New England, the Polish National Credit Union, VCA Animal Hospitals and Bru Biscuits.
Readers can learn more about Dakin Humane Society at https://www.dakinhumane.org/.