First ever Wagathon aims to raise £1m for dog charities
Melanie May | 2 August 2021 | News
Dog charities are taking part in the first ever Wagathon this August Bank Holiday, with the aim of raising a collective £1 million.
Organised by fundraising platform Give as you Live to help dog charities after the challenging past year, Wagathon asks dog owners to sign up their pets to take part in a national Walk 9K for K9s challenge in celebration of this year’s National Dog Day (Thursday 26 August) over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Dogs unable to complete the full 9K in one day can spread their challenge across these dates.
Dog charities that would like to participate can sign up on the Wagathon site.
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Dog owners are asked to select a dog charity to raise donations for, create a Give as you Live Donate fundraising page for their dog, upload an image of them, and then spread the word across their social media accounts and start collecting sponsorship money from friends and family.
People without dogs can also take part by selecting a dog charity, creating a fundraising page, uploading a relevant image, and sharing their fundraising page across social media.
Give as you Live will also be running a competition with winners receiving a £100 hamper of treats for their dog, as well as a £100 donation for the dog charity of their choice.
Annabelle Risdon, Director and Head of Partnerships at Give as you Live, commented:
“The pandemic has impacted hundreds of dog-related charities resulting in thousands of lost
donations to help support vital canine welfare. Our Wagathon initiative provides an
opportunity for these charities to boost their donation drives this summer. The mission is to
ensure all dog charities are supported in their quest to increase donations after such a
difficult period.”
More dog walking fundraising events
Dog walks are also taking place to raise funds for other charities this summer. Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is holding The Great British Dog Walk between August and October, with a choice of 15 walks across the UK to take part in, with the aim of raising funds to support the charity’s work with deaf people.
St Mungos is also asking people to team up with their dogs to raise funds for the charity, with its Take the Lead event. This challenges people to walk the distance of a marathon during August, which will contribute to an overall target of 2,688 miles – one for every person found rough sleeping in England last year. Cancer Research UK offers Woof Walkies with walks around the country, and there is also The Big Dog Walk, which offers walks and fun activities for dogs and their owners in a number of locations in the UK, and encourages people to come along and fundraise for a charity at the same time.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.