Pawty for the Park raises $25K for repairs at the Canton Dog Park

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Canton, we asked, and you answered! The CCA Pawty for the Park fundraiser, held on Saturday, June 24, raised $25k for the Friends of Canton Dog Park. Despite the weather, neighbors and pups showed up in packs to help us raise money for repairs at the 21-year-old park. Pawty-goers enjoyed a costume contest, local vendors, a doggie yard sale table, raffles, a make-art-with-your-dog station, and more. While our ultimate goal is $30k, we’re stoked that we’re almost there!! Raising $25k is a BIG DEAL. Thank you, Canton.

Some highlights from the Pawty include the Doggie Costume Contest MC’d by Park Ranger Tony Edmonds.

  • 1st Place - Kristen Mills with Harvey Dent

  • 2nd Place – Patrick George with Indigo

  • 3rd Place – Karen Sweigart, aka the Magic Poop Fairy, with Luigi and Tigger

The “Make Art with Your Dog” project station hosted by Baltimore Bark House was a big hit! Pups licked peanut butter to swirl paint on a mini canvas inside a baggie. The result was super fun! Totally worth popping on the front of your fridge or in a frame! 

The Doggie Yard Sale Table hosted by Bmore Best Buds was a go-to for all the pet parent shoppers. Great job, Allie & Mickey! And, the Teams at HDC Inc. and One-Eyed Jack Property Management hosted popular booths… but truth be told we think the neighbors were lined up to show some love to their popular mascots Harvey Dent, Gus and One-eyed Jack!

Boy, did we have fun… just check out these pix from our new Step & Repeat Photo wall! For more photos, check out our social media including the CCA and Friends of Canton Dog Park FB pages.

Here’s a big list of THANK YOUs for everyone who planned, participated, and played with us!

THE PAWTY TEAM
Shoutout to our Pawty Team for their hard work bringing this event to life! Julie M. Kichline (CCA Co-Marketing Chair and owner of Kik-line Design and Baltimore Guided), Kristen Mills (HDC Inc.), Kim Lally Holmes (One-Eyed Jack Property Management and Holmes Glorioso), Megan Worman (Baltimore Bark House), Allie Liekse (Bmore Best Buds) and Amanda Bourgeois (CCA President).

 

Also helping were Jay Harkinish (Lighthouse Tavern) offering a special Pawty Menu, Park Ranger/MC Tony Edmonds (Ginsing’s Friends) on the mic, and Jim Hamilton (Church on the Square) with an assist for tables and chairs.

BUSINESS SPONSORS
Alpine Viking, Baltimore Bark House, Bmore Best Buds, Blumberg Built, Benebone, Charm City Veterinary Hospital, Foritus Security, Harford General Insurance, HDC Inc., Kik-lineDesign, Lighthouse Tavern, Minuteman Press Baltimore, Nexus Veterinary Specialists, One-Eyed Jack Property Management & Holmes Glorioso, Port City Property Management, ProMD Health, and Walker 28.

BASKET DONATIONS
3 of a Kind, Bayside Cantina, Best Day Ever, Baltimore Bling, Bmore Best Buds, Canton Crossing Wine & Spirits, The Chasseur/Pig & Rooster Smokehouse, Nexus Veterinary Specialist, Ministry of Brewing, OLAR, Smaltimore, and The Canton Local.

VOLUNTEERS  (target team photo - 2 to choose from)
Shout out to our volunteers Caitlin Humphries and Team Target, John and Cherie Mills, Mickey Lieske, Victoria Cole, Brie & Kyle Weber, and Natalie DiFrancesco with Brie the Biscuit, too!

CITY SERVICES / GOV
Shout out to Michelle Abbott-Cole at DOT, Maggie Master with Councilmember Zeke Cohen’s office, and Carlos Camacho at BCRP.

PRINTING AND PROMOTION
Special props to Minuteman Press for the printing and to Kik-line Design for the design, marketing and social media.

Last, but not least, we received dozens of donations by individuals in support of the park. THANK YOU – you know who you are! 

Why we need your help…

The Canton Dog Park, founded in 2002, was the first off-leash park in Baltimore City. Being over 20 years old, the park needs some TLC. In 2022, the CCA spent $9,000 in repairs including a retaining wall and a plumber to fix the water fountains. BCRP visited the park multiple times to re-grade and repair a recurring water leak problem. Despite all our efforts, some major projects still need attention. 

At the top of the list, there is an immediacy to resolve the “lake” which forms in the large dog side of the park and renders it unusable when it rains. This undertaking is costly, but very necessary for the safety and cleanliness of the park. Short-term projects include new signage, shade sails, benches, and a bulletin board to share community information. 

How to help…
We are so excited that we raised $25k! AND, now we know we can get to our goal of $30k! If you were unable to attend, we are still accepting donations to reach our goal of $30,000. Here are 3 easy ways to help.

DONATE: https://www.cantoncommunity.org/canton-dog-park

BUY A BRICK: https://www.cantoncommunity.org/buy-a-brick/purchase

SPONSOR: Sponsorships are still available. Please email info@CantonCommunity.org for details.

Thank you to our community for #GettingNeighborly – you really showed up when we needed you!

Next up… we plan the process to fix/remove the “lake” and submit it to the city. Stay tuned!