Students Encouraging Freshmen (SEF) will be selling handmade dog toys at Soldon’s Pet Supplies in Bay City on Friday, Aug. 31, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The fleece rope dog toys are made from materials donated by members of SEF.
Those interested in purchasing the toys can buy them at Soldon’s on the day of the event or on Facebook Marketplace for $5.
Members decided to team up with the Humane Society after they had the idea for making dog toys.
“All of the members of the executive board are big animal lovers,” said Jennifer Lothian, the events coordinator of SEF. “As soon as we decided to sell the toys, we knew that the Humane Society would be a great partner for us.”
For Jessica Hurley, the treasurer of SEF, the fundraiser provides an outlet to give back to the community and encourage future service events.
“This event is important to me because it is something I am incredibly passionate about,” Hurley said. “Being able to assist our community has been a huge goal of our organization, and this is our very first fundraiser to help do so. If this event is a success, it would be a great way to help kick start even more service to our community.”
Students are encouraged to donate to the fundraiser, which benefits several organizations.
“Students who donate will not only provide their own fuzzy friends with toys, but will also help provide funding for less privileged animals,” Hurley said. “Purchasing a toy also helps fund our events and provide them free of cost to students. It is a win-win situation for everyone.”
Money raised will be split between the Humane Society of Bay County and SEF.
“Half of the proceeds will be donated to the Humane Society of Bay County, while the remaining half will fund our events and keep them free for students,” Hurley said. “In particular, our portion of the funds will be used in funding our biggest event of the year, ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ which takes place Sept. 29 at 10 p.m.”
Hurley encourages students to participate in future SEF events and become active members of the campus community.
“I encourage students to get out to one of our events and meet some new people,” Hurley said. “Everyone is welcome, and we can make this a great year together.”
