MORGANTOWN – Recent history would tell us the combination of tents, inclement weather and Kendrick Family Ballpark is a recipe for impromptu aeronautics.
Jaime Williams – Just Jaime to WVAQ listeners – is hopeful the fur is not flying at the ballpark this weekend as she settles in for the fifth annual Camping for Canines fundraiser in support of Animal Friends of North Central West Virginia.
The concept is simple.
Williams moves into a tent situated in a public location and doesn’t leave until she’s reached a fundraising goal.
She eats there. She sleeps there. She broadcasts there.
“I’ve taken a deep interest in the animal shelters here locally, and I wanted to do something that would be kind of, as cheesy as it sounds, part performance art and part fundraising to really get attention on the needs of the shelter,” Williams said. “I was like, how can I get people to pay attention to this great organization? What’s something weird that people will pay attention to? A girl in a tent in a place that a tent doesn’t belong surely will garner some attention and hopefully raise some money. And every year I’ve been able to hit the fundraising goal.”
The goal this time around is $10,000, with all proceeds benefitting Animal Friends of North Central West Virginia’s ongoing effort to build a new shelter at its Brewer Road location.
The nonprofit, no-kill shelter provides care and aid for unwanted, abandoned and abused animals. The organization takes in animals caught in a variety of circumstances – from animal hoarding situations to scheduled euthanasia in area pounds – with the ultimate goal of placing each in a loving home.
Working with partner March-Westin, Williams said the new shelter will provide Animal Friends much needed space to further that mission.
“A lot of their funding goes toward veterinary care, cleaning products and feeding the animals. So they don’t have a ton of extra money to go toward this new facility, which is why I really wanted to get involved with the fundraising for the last five years. They’re really kind of treading water until they can get that new facility,” she said. “We’re hoping to break ground at the end of summer.”
Like last summer, Williams will be strategically camped out at the home of the West Virginia Black Bears in order to take advantage of the franchise’s annual Bark in the Park promotion, which is Saturday.
She said a portion of the game’s ticket sales will support the effort.
Like a golden retriever with a tennis ball, it’s all about keeping your eyes on the prize, Williams said.
This time around, however, she’ll also be keeping her eyes on the skies.
The weekend forecast features a fair amount of rain, and potentially heavy thunderstorms into Saturday evening.
“I think this might be the hardest year yet as far as the weather looks. So, I’m a little nervous,” she said. “Historically, tents up on that hill don’t do well. We’re going to have the WVAQ boombox out there, so, if anything, I’ll take shelter in there if I have to. I don’t think I will.”
If you would like to ensure Williams’ veterinary vigil is as brief as possible, you can donate to her directly starting at 3 p.m. Friday at Kendrick Family Ballpark. Donations can also be made online through Venmo (@AFNCWV) and PayPal (@AnimalFriendsNCWV).
