Golf outing raises more than $4,000 for Animal Friends of Westmoreland

Animal Friends of Westmoreland currently has 152 animals in their care. Since its inception in 2006, the nonprofit has rescued more than 5,700 animals.

Like most nonprofits, Animal Friends relies on donations and they could not be happier to have received a $4,200 donation recently — the proceeds from the Sept. 4 benefit golf outing organized by Jigger’s Pub in Export.

“This was our fifth year partnering with Manor Valley Golf Course and Animal Friends,” said Jigger’s co-owner Brenda DeCesare. “We had 140 golfers and were completely full by the first week of August.”

The pub’s annual golf outing takes place the Friday before Labor Day each year, with Animal Friends as the benefactor.

In addition, golfers have a chance to meet with some of the dogs looking for a “forever home.”

“We come out for the registration in the morning and we usually bring four or five adoptable dogs with us,” said Bethany Morse, animal care manager for Animal Friends. “And we always have some adoption applications with us, if someone is interested in the dogs we have with us that day.”

The outing also served as a showcase for local brewers: Stateside Vodka, Yellow Bridge Brewing, Vecenie Distributor and Platform Brewing had tents located at four holes on the golf course to provide samples.

“This year everything was held outside,” DeCesare said. “Lunch was eaten at the turn instead of dinner at the end of the day, because of covid-19.”

At a time when the pandemic shutdown has everyone’s purse strings drawn tighter, Morse said she was thankful for events like the golf outing.

“We’re so very appreciative of everything they do for this event,” she said. “It’s definitely a big help so we can get the animals in our care the help they need until they find their forever home.”