Larry and Virginia Macha took in their first stray dog about 10 years ago. Larry served on the board for the Allen County Animal Rescue Foundation (ACARF) at the time and was helping the group build its rescue facility.
Their granddaughter brought them a boxer-Labrador mix named Molly, along with a contract where she promised to teach the dog tricks and babysit if they would take the stray. They did.
Then came Daisy, a beagle rescued from a puppy mill. Remington, a big hound with numerous medical issues, came from ACARF.
?We just love animals. Especially Larry,? Virginia said. ?We have three happy strays, all rescues, and we don?t know what we would do without them.?
So when ACARF hit a rough financial patch seven years ago, the Machas wanted to help.
?It had to be a fundraiser where you could make enough money to make it worth doing,? Virginia recalled.
She learned the City of Iola had made it legal to sell fireworks in the city limits and thought a charity fireworks stand would be the perfect solution. Macha Enterprises owned a building near the U.S. 54/169 interchange; it would be ideal for selling fireworks, Virginia thought. By using their own building, they?d have less overhead and therefore more profits to donate. But Larry had reservations.
Learn where and when you can shoot fireworks.
?We have eight days,? she assured him that first year. ?We can figure it out.?
Now in its seventh year, the Lite ?Em Up Fireworks stand is the largest single fundraising event for ACARF. It typically raises several thousand dollars each year, which equates to about 5 percent of the shelter?s $200,000 annual budget.
The funding comes at a good time, ACARF director Janice Porter and secretary/treasurer Julie Payne said. Summer is a difficult time at the shelter, with financial challenges, an increase in animals brought to the shelter and fewer adoptions.
The money from the fireworks stand can be used for operations, things like utilities and salaries. That?s significant because grants, another source of funding, typically come with restrictions and rarely can be used for operations.
?It helps keep us afloat,? Payne said. ?It?s a big boon.?
See these tips for keeping your pet safe during fireworks season.
