04/30/2025
A few weeks ago, we were involved with Purses for Pets III, a fundraiser for the Elk County Humane Society. Through the generous support of numerous area businesses and individuals, the Shelter ended up netting over $20,000 to help animals in need in Elk County. Here's the official press release for the event.
Purses for Pets III, a purse bash fundraiser benefiting the Elk County Humane Society, was held on Saturday evening, April 12, 2025, at the Fine Line Event Center in Saint Marys. Organized by former fundraising committee and board members, the event raised over $20,000 to support the shelter. As the name suggests, this was the third installment of the popular event, following previous bashes held in 2017 and 2020.
Past board members Jeff Boucher, Amy Auman, Jo Rae Richardson, and Ann Gerg, along with former fundraising chair Rich Schweikart, led the planning for this year’s bash, with valuable assistance from June Glass, the society’s fundraising committee chair, Marcy Dippold, longtime volunteer, and several current board members.
Throughout the evening, more than four dozen brand-new, top-name designer purses, wallets, and handbags were awarded to a sold-out crowd of 200 women who had purchased tickets to attend. As a bash event, ticket holders were eligible to win purses drawn every 15 minutes, culminating in a grand prize drawing for a Louis Vuitton handbag at the end of the night. Guests could also purchase raffle tickets and play pull-tab games for even more chances to win additional purses.
Thanks to generous donations of purses, food, event space, and decorations from local businesses and volunteers, event costs were minimal. With few expenses, nearly every dollar from ticket sales and side games went directly to support the shelter, making this one of its most successful fundraisers in over a decade.
While formal planning for this year’s bash began late last year and continued with numerous meetings over the past four months, Purses for Pets III was actually five years in the making. In March 2020, just days before the second Purses for Pets was scheduled to take place in Ridgway, organizers were forced to pivot to a scaled-back virtual event on Facebook Live due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disappointed that many activities had to be postponed, the organizers were thrilled to finally bring their full vision to life this year.
The event organizers extend their heartfelt thanks to the Elk County Humane Society board for the opportunity to host the fundraiser, to all the donors who contributed purses, door prizes, food & drinks, and basket raffle items, and to the many volunteers and attendees whose support made the evening such a tremendous success.