2019 Bark and Wine fundraiser for Shelby Humane features artistic dog beds
The Shelby Humane organization is holding its 10th annual Bark and Wine fundraiser at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook on Saturday, July 20.
The event will kick off at 6 p.m. with a silent auction, followed by a seated dinner at 7:15 and a program and live auction about 7:30, said Donna McFeeters, a Shelby Humane board member helping organize the fundraiser.
The featured items in this year’s live auction will be handmade dog beds made out of reclaimed wood and decorated with different themes by artists. Last year, the featured auction items were 11 fire hydrants painted by artists, and they were a huge success, McFeeters said. The first two to be auctioned were painted with Alabama and Auburn themes and went for $12,000 each, she said.
The total raised with all 11 fire hydrants was $47,000, and the event as a whole raised almost $150,000, compared to about $100,000 in previous years, McFeeters said.
“It was so much fun,” she said.
Last year was the first time the event was held at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, and the venue worked out great because it provided more space, she said. When the fundraiser was held at country clubs, seating typically was limited to about 160, but 220 people attended Bark and Wine last year, McFeeters said.
Other auction items for this year will include another decorated fire hydrant, trips to places such as Tuscany and Fiji, paintings by Dirk Walker and Phyllis Gibson, other artwork, a mirror and a package of gift cards to Birmingham-area restaurants valued at hundreds of dollars.
Proceeds from the event will be used for medical care for animals. The Shelby Humane group receives about 5,000 animals annually and spends more than $350,000 to provide medical care each year, according to the Bark and Wine website. The group’s annual budget is $1.8 million.
Tickets for Bark and Wine are $175 for general admission individual tickets or $1,500 for a reserved table for eight people. Gold sponsorships, which include a reserved table for 10 people, cost $2,500. Fifty tickets for a VIP auction preview at 5 p.m. cost $50 extra.
To buy tickets or for more information, go to barkandwine.org or call 669-3916.