Talk About a Spook-tacular Time!
Photos by Erica Lane Photography & Crystal T Photography
The 2024 0.5K Dog Walking Dead (DWD) Prairie Berry Challenge was another purr-fect event! Once again, dogs, a cat (our first one squeee!), and even some adventurous goats (yes, goats, disguised as dogs of course!) convinced 80 of their humans from all over the Black Hills region to come to Hill City and enjoy a beautiful Sunday while supporting families in need of emergency veterinary care and pet cremation services. We were once again hosted by Prairie Berry Winery and Miner Brewing Company, who graciously allowed us to use their beautiful lawn for the event. With the sun shining and purr-fect temperatures, we could not have asked for a better day.
THE 2024 TRIFECTA AWARD
This year's Trifecta award, given to those who participated in all three races, was a custom hat made on-site! Participants even got to choose their own colors—now that's great service. A big thank you to Teri and Doug of Phelps Promotional Products for suggesting the fantastic idea of the hat bar!
AND THE WINNERS ARE????
From left to right: Erica Lane Harvey (Board member), Best Group Costume Winners: Little Riding Hood Family, Best Single Dog Costume Winner: Clydesdale, Kelly Harnett and Mark Thorson (Board Members), Best Couple (Dog and Human) Costume Winners: Jurassic Park Raptor
Once again, three judges sat in their thrones (well…lawn chairs), deciding the winners as participants made their way around the 0.31-mile trek, raising an impressive $1,661.80 for Hobo’s Healing Heart!
Photos from the event will be available on our Facebook page in the 2024 0.5K Dog Walking Dead Prairie Berry Challenge photo album on Oct. 21, 2024. Feel free to grab pictures of you and your pup to share—just be sure to tag us!
U DA SH!T! ‘24 Award
This year, the Board wanted to honor our participants, because without your support and attendance, our success wouldn't be possible. We were thrilled to present the inaugural 'U da Sh!t' award to Wes Koehne, who went above and beyond as a volunteer this year, and we wanted to ensure his efforts were recognized and celebrated!
Volunteers are Our SUPERHEROES!
New Board Member, Mark Thorson, and volunteers Dawn Ristau and Patty Trapp helping with 50/50 raffle.
“More paws can dig a bigger hole—oops, I mean more hands make light work!”
For over a decade, Kelly Harnett, our Founder, has been the guiding force, but we need more hands to keep up with the increasing number of applications. Hobo's Healing Heart is urgently seeking volunteers to continue our mission of helping Black Hills families in financial crisis with emergency veterinary care and pet cremation costs. Our nonprofit is 100% volunteer-run, and as the demand for assistance grows each year, so does the need for dedicated pack members.
The best way you can make an impact right now is by filling out our volunteer form—or better yet, jump in and help us make the 2025 0.5K Trifecta Challenge Series our most successful event yet! Together, we can make sure no family has to face tough decisions alone. Join us today!
Show some love and support for our sponsors, please consider them when making your next purchase.
A heartfelt thank you to Erica Lane Photography and Crystal T. Photography for capturing all the amazing moments throughout the day. Your beautiful images ensure these memories will last a lifetime. We also extend our gratitude to Brad Johnson for providing the perfect soundtrack to the event. Your music, time, and support were a wonderful addition to our celebration this year.
