PORT ANGELES — Operation Uplift was all about dogs and dads on Sunday.
The inaugural Pooches and Papas walk and 5K run was set to begin at 10 a.m. on Father’s Day.
But locals were so excited to take part the organizers were overrun with people SEmD and dogs SEmD by 9:30 a.m., all ready to do the walk for $20, said Margo Petersen-Pruss.
“By about 10:30, we had about 60 people come through,” she said.
“All sorts of dogs and walkers and runners.”
During Sunday’s Pooch and Papa Walk, participants started at City Pier, walked their leashed pets along the Waterfront Trail to Francis Street, got a stamp, then walked back to receive a goodie bag and certificate.
Mission supported
Sunday’s event was part of Pink Up Port Angeles, a week’s worth of events to raise money for Operation Uplift’s mission of helping those with cancer.
Kathy DeBenedette of Port Angeles brought her pooch, Megan, to the walk.
She said she was attending to support Operation Uplift.
“My mother is a breast cancer survivor,” she said, “and so is my husband.”
“I really want to support their cause because they need it.”
A group of six led by Steve Triggs of Port Angeles did the walk with their pet, Lucy.
Triggs, honored as the papa of the family, was accompanied by his wife, Patsy, as well as their grandchildren.
“We all thought this was something unique to do for Father’s Day,” said Patsy.
$1,600 raised
By the end of the day, the organization had raised about $1,600 and welcomed about 80 walkers or runners, said Petersen-Pruss.
She said they plan to do the event next year.
“We will absolutely do it next time,” she said.
“Father’s Day is a great time for this.
“We always try and schedule it around our golf tournament, and so that is why it ended up on this weekend.”
Even in the cold
The cold and windy weather might have made the attendance even smaller than it could have been, she said.
“If it were warm and sunny, I think we would have had even more people out,” she said.
“Another thing we will work on is getting groups together.
“That was something we hadn’t really considered until a sorority came out together as a group for this.”
After finishing the walk, humans were awarded a T-shirt (pink or black, depending on the person’s preference) and dogs were given scarfs touting a pattern of pink ribbons symbolizing support for breast cancer research.
For more information, phone Petersen-Pruss at 360-460-4251 or 360-452-3333 or Linda DeBord at 360-460-1155.
DeBord is the fundraising chairwoman for the Port Angeles Soroptimist Noon Club, which organized Pink Up Port Angeles.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
