Culture
32nd Athens County Humane Society Garden Tour set for June 28
By: Emily Votaw
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – The Athens County Humane Society’s largest annual fundraiser returns later this month, inviting the community to support its animal welfare efforts by purchasing a ticket to tour a number of local private gardens.
The 32nd Annual Athens County Humane Society Garden Tour takes place Sunday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour features nine gardens, ranging from native pollinator habitats to formal, manicured landscapes. Participants begin at the former Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau (667 E. State St.), where they will receive a guidebook and directions to each garden.
In this episode of Conversations from Studio B, Garden Tour committee members Linda Sauer, Karen Isaac, and Athens County Humane Society President Mary Connolly discussed the event’s history, its function as a fundraiser, and the work supported by its proceeds. You can listen to the conversation by clicking “play” in the SoundCloud embed below.
Funds raised through the Garden Tour support a wide range of Athens County Humane Society programs, such as low-cost spay-and-neuter services, trap-neuter-return efforts to control feral cat populations, and adoption programs. The organization also funds the salary and equipment used by its humane agent, who responds to reports of animal neglect and abuse, works with local courts, and educates pet owners throughout the county.
This year, the Athens Art Guild is partnering with the event and will host an art display and sale at the registration site. Visitors may also participate in a new photography contest by emailing images taken during the tour to photos@athenshumane.org. Submissions will be judged by the Athens Art Guild and the winning photograph will be displayed at the former visitor center for a year in a custom frame donated by Art Park Design & Custom Framing and Athena Treen Custom Wood Frames.
In addition to selling tickets for the garden tour, the Athens County Humane Society is raising money by offering six themed raffle packages featuring an array of items donated by local businesses. Though individual raffle packages are valued at $190-$455, tickets to enter the raffle are only $10 per entry. Find more information about the raffle packages at this link.
The Athens County Humane Society Garden Tour will be held rain or shine. Tickets are $20. Advance tickets and additional information are available at this link.
