On July 19 Mother’s Saloon will host the fourth annual Partners for Paws fundraiser, with a special appearance from Superunloader frontman, Jimmy Lewis. All proceeds from the event go to the San Diego Humane Society, helping our furry friends with everything from food to medical care. Running from 6 to 9 p.m., admission is free, with funds raised through the sale of raffle tickets as well as Mother’s Saloon donating 10 percent of the evening’s sales to the cause.
Organized by Partners for Paws founder, Susan Olsen, the event fills a critical need locally. “It’s just myself and anyone I can get to volunteer,” she said. “Our mission statement is basic, we get together to raise money for the animal community. “But, I think raising money to help causes like this and the Humane Society are important,” Olsen continued. “Our Humane Society is state of the art, we are blessed to have a rescue reserve and a food bank amongst all the things they do, and I want to make sure that they are able to continue to do that. It’s a service to the public that many other places don’t have. Our city loves our animals and this is a wonderful way to help them.”
Olsen is a 25-year volunteer with the Humane Society, motivated to raise funds by her love of animals and the desire to give back to her community. “I’ve worked many other events, but always wanted to have my own. Four years ago, I walked into Mother’s with the idea and it’s gone from there.” She credits the venue for much of the events success. “They’ve been absolutely great, helping with everything from getting the word out to booking the talent.” Gale Hopping who does promotions for Mother’s is happy to be involved. “I’m always happy to be involved with good people and good causes,” he said. “Anything we can do to make life a little better for the animals is worthwhile.”
Olsen plans to continue to promote her events in the Ocean Beach / Point Loma area. “I specialize in the boating community,” she said. “I’ve been a member of the yacht club for more than 20 years, so it’s an area I know well and that’s a group of people that are always happy to be involved.”
It is perhaps unusual for a fund raiser to not charge a cover, but the raffle tickets ($5 each or six for $20) give attendees a chance to donate and potentially receive notable prizes such as a half-day fishing trip, a sunset cruise for two and an overnight stay at Loews Resort in Coronado. Olsen is hoping to raise at least $2,000 on the day. “I find that letting people know the goal amount helps,” she said. “Every bit raised is appreciated, but if we can hit our goal, we can really make a difference.” Anyone who would like to contribute, but can’t make the show, is encouraged to donate at sdhumane.org/yappyhour2017. With decades of volunteer work and four years of fundraisers behind her, Olsen’s enthusiasm for helping animals has not diminished. “I’m actually ramping up,” she said good-naturedly. “We’re starting to get a reputation for these events, people are starting to recognize us, so that will potentially bring in more funds and interest. Really I’m just getting started.”
Beyond helping our animal friends, Olsen notes a second motive for staging these fundraisers. “I want to inspire others to get involved and perhaps start their own events,” she said. “I was inspired by a woman who raised money for a local museum and I thought, I could do that. Hopefully others will feel the same.” Partners for Paws Where: Mother’s, 2228 Bacon St. When: 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 19 Info: www.motherssaloon.com.