Third Annual 'Bark for Life' Event Raises $15,000 for American Cancer Society

Light rainfall on Saturday did not deter hundreds of dogs and their owners from converging on in Dexter to help raise money for the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The annual "" fundraiser brings pets and their owners together for a fun day of food, games and canine training and sporting demonstrations, with proceeds benefiting cancer research.

"This is our third year putting on 'Bark for Life' and it's the largest turnout yet," event founder Carol Yarrington said. "The event celebrates the bond between canines and their humans fighting cancer, and allows dog-lovers from all walks of life to come together to fight this deadly disease."

Yarrington said more than 200 participants and 150 dogs were in attendance Saturday, with 60 people joining the event's first "Fido 5K" Fun Run.

"We raised $15,000, which is just amazing," she said. "The best part was seeing people outside having a good time with their dogs. Dogs are very supportive of humans when we are dealing with cancer."

Tracey Larusso, an employee at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, attended the event with fellow co-workers Valerie Murphee and Christine Pink.

"I love it," she said. "The 5K was our motivating factor for getting out and exercising."

Larusso said she trained alongside Murphee and Pink for nine weeks, and the trio lost a total of 45 pounds.

"It was fun bringing the dog and hanging out at the park," Pink said.

Seth Read, a student at Dexter Community Schools, finished the 5K in first place for the 12 and under age bracket.

"I thought it was a lot of fun," he said. "There were times I wanted to walk instead of run, but I was only a foot or so ahead of everyone else."

Read said he trained for six weeks along with 17 other students enrolled in a Dexter Community Education class.

Mark Cohn of Grosse Pointe Woods brought his golden retriever Maddie, for a fact-finding tour in order to duplicate a "Bark for Life" event in Grosse Pointe.

"Grosse Pointe has a very successful Relay for Life; it's also a big dog community," he said. "This event seems like it would be a perfect fit for us."

While some participants were eager to complete their first 5K, others said they enjoyed the opportunity to spend the day outdoors attending doggie obedience classes, and other pet programs free of charge.

"It was super fun to come out to Hudson Mills with our German Shepherd, 'The Dude,'" Monira Phillip of Pinckney said. "I definitely hope it becomes a regular tradition in Dexter. I think the park is a great place to host an event like this."

For more information on future "Bark for Life" events, visit the fundraiser's website.