Run for animal rescue

SPARTA — One Step Closer Animal Rescue (“O.S.C.A.R.”), a nonprofit organization based in Sparta, will hold their 2nd annual 5K-9 Run/Walk and 1K FIDO Fun Run/Walk on Saturday, May 7, at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. The 5K Race/Walk starts at 9:30 a.m. with the Fido Fun Run/Walk following at 10:15 a.m. Dogs are welcome in the 1K Fido Fun Run/Walk.
“Our 5K is an out and back course starting and finishing at the Fairgrounds,” said race director Brian Harms. “We want to continue to grow this event every year. It’s a great way to come together to support the animals and have some healthy fun.” There will be prizes awarded to the Top 3 Male and Female 5K finishers as well as a prize for the largest co-ed team. There will also be raffle prizes that all 5K entrants are automatically entered to win. The 5K is the first event for O.S.C.A.R. since announcing they had purchased a building in Andover to be used as an animal shelter. The 6-acre property, with 40 existing kennels, is currently being renovated. Cassie Kowalchuk, O.S.C.A.R. founder, said, “Funds raised at our 5K will help with the costs of repairing our shelter. The faster we can raise the money to make the repairs, the faster we can get the shelter up and running. Having our shelter means we’ll be able to save so many more animals. It’s a dream come true.”
To register for the 5K online go to http://www.runsignup.com/ and search for O.S.C.A.R. Applications for the 1K can be printed on O.S.C.A.R.’s website http://www.oscarrescue.org/. For more information, e-mail the group at oscarrescue@yahoo.com.