Wallkill East Rotary recently held its annual Paw Jam fundraiser at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery. In its 2nd year, it was a great success, raising nearly $15,000 to largely benefit Pets Alive—a no-kill animal shelter in the Town of Wallkill--and the club's other charities. From the proceeds, Wallkill East will donate $11,500 to Pets Alive and Pets Alive has a generous matching donor that will match their contribution, making the total amount raised $23,000! The money will be used to build a much-needed new Dog Kennel. The family-friendly event involves live music by the 80s cover band Georgia-5, face painting, tarot card reading, a tricky tray and amazing raffle prizes, a dog costume contest, volleyball, cornhole, can jam, and yummy food and food trucks. 
The club lost a great Rotarian and Pets Alive employee/champion, Mary Ann Bopp, just a month before the event. The committee decided to rename the Event Sponsorship and Dog Costume Contest in honor of Mary Ann. The club knew that she was there with them in spirit! 
 
The Paw Jam Committee consists of approximately 15 people that start meeting a few months prior to the event. The committee is broken into sub-committees that covers marketing and social media, sponsorships, food and beverage, finance, basket raffles, and volunteer coordination. There were over 20 Rotarians, 15 Touro Medical students, 7 Interact kids, and 7 Pets Alive volunteers that worked together that day to allow for a smooth and well-run event.