LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - It was a sunny day full of food, fun, and furry friends. The Lima Pride Alliance hosted a fundraising meal to raise money for a local rescue center in need.
Deb's Dogs is a nonprofit, all volunteer organization that focuses on animals in need of rescuing. By providing funds to this group, all proceeds go into the animals. Lima Pride Alliance saw that deb's dogs were in need of funding, and so they rose to the occasion by hosting a meal fundraiser.
"When she had made a post in December saying the funds were running low, and they were in like 4 or 5 different states rescuing all these animals, I brought this to the table. I said, hey I have a great idea. We could sell plates for like 15 bucks a piece, try to make 100 plates, and raise about 1500 dollars hopefully to further the animal rescue operations," says Robert Freuh, Resources of Lima Pride Alliance.
With the event being held at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Market Street, it was easy to locate where to find the fundraiser. Each plate provided a main dish, 2 sides, a roll, and a dessert. Each person was able to dine in or pick up their meal for their convenience. With this fundraiser, Deb's Dogs felt it was necessary to make an appearance with their furry friends to show their gratitude. The founder of the rescue center, Deb, was there to explain why these funds mattered to her and her animal rescue personnel.
"All the funds that are donated go to the vet bills and the supplies for our animals. So anytime anybody reaches out and wants to do a fundraiser for us, we are so thankful," says Deb Helser, Founder of Deb's Dogs.
With 100 percent of the proceeds going to Deb's Dogs, the Lima Pride Alliance felt as though it was important to help a nonprofit organization get the help they need.
"That's our mission. We try and help the abandoned, stray, the sick, the injured. In the last 36-48 hours, I've got 14 injured cat calls, and a lot of them have to go to the emergency clinic. And our priority is helping those abandoned, sick, injured animals, and we will do everything we can," she adds.
Although the meals may be gone, the impact on local dogs will last long after the plates have been cleared.
