How could you not have a great time at an event named 'Hair of the Dog'?!

While the expression may come back to bite you the next morning, the annual fundraiser is once again hoping to be a complete sellout.

For the fifth year in a row, organizers Kendra Watt and Kari Broadhurst are looking forward to hosting an evening of fun, laughs, and a whole lot of support for the Cochrane and Area Humane Society.

While the event was created out of a loss for Watt, it has grown into something she never really anticipated. "I had a dog named Osa that passed away and I was very connected to her. When she passed away I wanted to do something in her memory and I threw around a couple of ideas like planting a tree or putting up a park bench; in talking with Kari, we thought why don't we have a party, raise some funds, and donate it to the Humane Society."

Monies raised support animals at the Humane Society.

Never predicting the event would raise $15,000 in its first year and do a repeat in year two, the pair decided to keep the momentum going. "It is absolutely incredible how this community supports the Cochrane and Area Humane Society. It's not necessarily a reflection of our event organization skills; it is more about how the community loves the shelter."

Raising $93,000 over the past four years, Watt shares it speaks to the heart of our community. "It is a testament to our community and why I love Cochrane so much. It doesn't matter what the charity is; people will get behind it and support it in a ridiculous manner. This community is phenomenal."

While there are many worthy organizations in Cochrane, Watt says she feels like they are on a roll with supporting the Humane Society. "We get a lot of repeat people coming as attendees, and we also get a lot of repeat donors, both individuals and businesses. A big part of the fundraising other than from the ticket sales is the from the silent and live auctions we do."

Last year the event raised an amazing $49,000, and while Watt would love to hit that number again, she says she is keeping her expectations realistic."We are hoping to raise $20,000 this year but you never know. A lot of it depends on what kind of items we get in the live auction because that's where people get caught up in the excitement."

Monies raised from the event support the general operations of the shelter, which of course the Humane Society is thrilled about. With a growing number of animals and a large service area, the need for the Humane Society continues to grow year after year.

If you would like to grab yourself a ticket for Hair of the Dog on April 6th before they sell out you can do so at Cochrane and Area Humane Society, Erol's Automotive, or Global Pet Foods. Your $40 ticket at the Venue will get you dinner, dancing the night away with the live band, a chance to bid in both silent and live auctions, as well as an opportunity to buy 50/50s or raffle tickets.

Lastly, Watt says if you would like to support the event by donating an item to the auctions, you can call or text her at 403-437-4041 as they are still looking.