Community Backers, Booze Keep Dog Park Afloat
The annual Wicker Dog Park Fundraiser will be held this weekend at the Twisted Spoke. And don't worry, there will be plenty of Three Floyds beer to go around.
Fans of Wicker Park's dog park will get the chance—yet again—this weekend to throw back beers in support of their furry friends.
This year's Wicker Dog Park Fundraiser will be held from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 at the Twisted Spoke, 501 N. Ogden Ave. There, a silent auction will help generate money for the Wicker Park Advisory Council's Dog Park Fund. Three Floyds Brewing Company will also donate a keg of beer that will be hooked up to one of the bar's taps. All proceeds from that keg will also go to the fund.
Local businesses such as Lockdown, DAVIDsTEA and Carriage House have donated gift certificates and other merchandise for the auction, through which custom-made jewelry and artwork will also be available.
Adam Housley, chairman of the advisory council's dog park committee, was still busy collecting donations from other businesses and individuals earlier this month. Depending on how the auction goes, the fundraiser may also include a raffle.
"The raffle is usually secondary," Housley said. "So a lot of times we just do a silent auction, and what we'll do is if we have extra stuff we'll do a raffle. In the past year it has just been the silent auction."
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The council's dog park fund is used to finance general maintenance and upkeep of the dog park, as well as the installation of special projects such as the puppy pool or a new "Wicker Park Doggies" sign that should be installed soon.
"My basic goal is just all the maintenance," Housley said. "Keeping it clean and safe for the dogs to use. Anything else is a plus, you know?"
According to Housley, the city and the park district have taken a hands-off approach to the dog park, so all maintenance and improvements are taken care of by him and volunteers. He said he organizes two big cleaning days each year, and that some volunteers chip in throughout the year to help keep it clean.
He thinks it's important for people to come out and support the dog park because it's a product of the community.
"This is a high visibility area and there's a lot of people that want it kept a certain way right now," Housley said. "They want it kept clean, and I think without people's attention, it's a park that could easily not be there if nobody is taking care of it."
