CAÑON CITY, COLORADO, September 16, 2025 — What an incredible day! Our first-ever Margaritas & Mutts: Runway Edition exceeded every expectation, bringing together 95 passionate animal lovers at the beautiful White Water Bar & Grill for an afternoon that will be remembered as a milestone in Humane Society of Fremont County history.

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our sponsors, attendees, and volunteers, we raised an astounding $36,942.20, with a net total of $31,113.63 going directly toward animal medical care. This remarkable achievement makes Saturday's event the biggest "net" fundraising event in our shelter's recent history—and it's not even close!

We are deeply grateful to our champion sponsors who made this event possible: Fremont Veterinary Hospital stepped up as our Runway Royalty Top Dog sponsor with an incredible $7,500 contribution, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to animal welfare in our community.

Our Runway Hero sponsors, No Kill Colorado and Steiner Sills Affordable Vet Care, each contributed $5,000, bringing our major sponsorship total to an impressive $17,500. These three organizations alone provided nearly half of our total fundraising success.

The live auction provided some of the day's most thrilling moments, with spirited bidding on exceptional items donated by generous community members. Cathy and Larry Finney made headlines by winning not one, not two, but three major auction items: the signed Patrick Surtain jersey, the signed Bo Nix jersey, and a stunning 14K ring with an appraised value of $3,200—all for a total of $4,050.

A particularly heartwarming highlight was witnessing a shelter dog being placed into a veterans service program, demonstrating how our work extends far beyond adoption to create truly life-changing partnerships. The adorable dog vests worn by our canine participants became impromptu fundraising tools, collecting $602 in cash donations from attendees who couldn't resist contributing a little extra for these four-legged ambassadors.

Special recognition goes to Paul Borillo, whose exceptional skills as master of ceremonies and live auctioneer were instrumental in the event's success. Michael Connors from Colorado K9 Company deserves enormous thanks for donating both signed Denver Broncos jerseys and a week of professional dog training from his business. These three generous donations alone raised $3,375 for our animals.

The success of Margaritas & Mutts has been so overwhelming that we're excited to announce this format will become our new annual September tradition, replacing our traditional Rescue Runway format. Every dollar raised will go directly toward animal medical expenses, ensuring that every sick or injured animal that comes through our doors receives the care they deserve.

To our sponsors, attendees, volunteers, venue partners at White Water Bar & Grill, auction donors, and everyone who contributed to this extraordinary success—thank you. Your generosity made Saturday not just a fundraising event, but a true celebration of our community's compassion. For more information about our services or upcoming events, please visit www.fremonthumane.com.

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About Humane Society of Fremont County

The Humane Society of Fremont County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter, care, and advocacy for animals in need. With the motto "Where Every Life Matters," the organization treats all animals with respect, kindness, and dignity and is committed to maintaining its impressive save rate of over 95% annually while serving as a leader in animal welfare in Fremont and Custer Counties.

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