Humane Society $10,000 shared by 3

From left, Mary Ann Armijo, Mary J. Milz and Patty Herrera are all smiles as they decide to split the $10,000 raffle at the Bow-Meow Dinner and Dance, Saturday night at Red Rock Park. In a reverse raffle, the three Gallup residents decided rather than one of them winning the $10,000 prize, they would split it and take home $3,333 each. The annual dinner, dance and raffle benefits the Humane Society in McKinley County. [Photo by Gaye Brown de Alvarez/Independent]

By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff Writer

Silver Setting: Tyler Wilson puts silverware out in preperation for the McKinley County Humane Society Bow-Meow Ball at the Red Rock State Park Convention Center Saturday. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

GALLUP — It almost looked like everyone in the entire city of Gallup turned out for the Gallup-McKinley Humane Society's Bow Meow dinner and dance Saturday night at Red Rock Park. The crowd was large, estimated at about 370.

Every seat was filled. New tables were added at the last minute. The food disappeared before everyone got to eat. Candidates for the city election were working the crowd. The servers behind the bar were hustling, filling drink orders for long lines of party-goers. The noise level was deafening. Everyone was having a great time.

There were so many gifts and door prizes to give away, numbers were being called well into the night.

"Its pretty phenomenal that that many people showed up," said Cozy Balok, of the Gallup-McKinley Humane Society. "It was, by far, our biggest benefit function that we've ever had."

The band Ralph Dinosaur and The Volcanoes got started a little late, but it was well worth the wait as Ralph Dinosaur walked onto stage wearing a mini-dress, a woman's bra and mens dress shoes with only one white sock. The band played dance music until after midnight.

The big event of the night was the reverse raffle for $10,000. Ticket numbers were eliminated all night long until only three ticket-buyers remained. The three local women, City Councilor Mary Ann Armijo; owner of Cnet Computer Sales and Service, Patty Herrera; and local artist Mary J. Milz, held a brief powwow and decided; rather than one winner take all, the three would split the $10,000 and walk home with $3,333 each.

Balok admitted that the sheer numbers of the crowd took organizers by surprise. She said that they've been holding the benefit for about 15 years, and they usually estimate how many will actually show up for the dinner and dance, but this year more people showed up than expected.

Balok also said that almost every merchant they asked for a donation, a silent auction item or a door prize gave something.

The numbers haven't been totaled yet, she said, but she expects a successful benefit.

The annual fundraiser is used for operating expenses at the Humane Society and to transport animals to Humane Societies in Colorado for adoption placement. The trips to Colorado have nearly cut in half the huge number of animals from Gallup and the surrounding area needing to be euthanized.