Hello Gatherers! As some of you know, I've been deeply involved with Badass Animal Rescue for several years now. Badass Animal Rescue is a 501(c) 3 volunteer-run nonprofit, non-shelter based, dog rescue based in Brooklyn, NY. My husband and I are two-time adopters of Badass dogs, we've fostered, I've previously trained volunteers, and most-recently I co-chaired the rescue's largest fundraiser of the year!
Pulling together an event like this took several months of planning, the help of several other volunteers and Badass' Executive Director, Krista Almqvist.
Tasks included:
securing sponsors
venue scouting
menu development for food & drink
identifying keynote speaker
raffle sorting and payment mobilization
live auction organization
arrangement of event staff & volunteers
writing event run-of-show and program script
day-of coordinating
These pictures showcases the culmination of all our hard work!
This year's Badass Bash celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the rescue. It was the first large indoor event since 2019, and it was a night of fun & enjoyment - all for the dogs! The venue was Littlefield in Brooklyn, NY - they have an onsite catering from partner restaurant, Park Life, that served vegetarian Tex-Mex-style apps.
Guests were invited to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of 10 raffle prizes. All proceeds from the evening go directly to life-saving care for current and future Badass dogs.
VIP guests received a 10th Anniversary tote along with goodies from our sponsors, including poop bags and tennis balls from Wild One, dog bandannas from Tito's Vodka and Austin EastCiders.
Being co-chair meant not only planning the evening, I also go to kick off the evening's program. Here I am (above) introducing the Planning Committee, along with the co-chair, Eliana Rowe. I had the honor of introducing our keynote speaker, Rachel McPherson, President and Founder of The Good Dog Foundation.
Personalized Badass dog cards were placed out for guests to write thank you notes to Badass volunteers. Badass relies on volunteers to run its day-to-day tasks, such as adoptions, fostering, social media, vet needs, etc.
Custom cocktails were also on the menu! The evening was generously supported by drink sponsors like Tito's Vodka, included in the signature cocktail "The Salty Pittie," or Maker's Mark, in the "Old Fashioned Hound."
The best part, for me, was the Live Auction, with 10 amazing prizes - including two getaways, auctioned off by my husband, Taylor Wofford. I have to say I think it was his cowboy hat that made him look like a professional.
The day after the event I received an email from our Executive Director thanking me for the work I did, letting me know this was our "BIGGEST FUNDRAISER IN BASH HISTORY!"
For Badass Animal Rescue (and me) this is a huge win. A huge thank you to Krista Almqvist for appointing me to this role - I can't wait until next year.
Until next time,
Elise