We had the pleasure of being a sponsor of this year’s Buda Wiener Dog Races. The Buda Lion’s Club has put on the event for 27 years to raise money for people in the community and around the world. A couple of their efforts include helping needy children in Hays County afford eye exams and eyeglasses and children with physical disabilities and children with diabetes attend Texas Lions Camp. Without their fundraising efforts, these children would not be able to get the care and experiences they deserve.
Every year has a theme and this year it was WUNE – a play on the movie DUNE. We got these awesome t-shirts but also made our own with our pups on there. Sadly, my dog Tippy, died a couple of weeks before the event. She was diagnosed with liver disease over Thanksgiving. She had a miraculous recovery and was training for the races. But two weeks ago, her liver issues returned and she quickly decompensated over a weekend. I feel thankful to have these past few months with her and glad she is finally at peace, but will miss her. In place of Tippy, our new chiweenie, Izzie, made her appearance. She scoped out the scene and is considering in next year’s mixed breed races.
At the event, the main stars are wiener dogs themselves. The races start with a parade of the dogs followed by the races. The event is also a chance to see what local artists and vendors have for sale. As a sponsor, we spent the two days passing out sunscreen, water bottles, sunglasses, and the hit of the event (besides the races of course) – the design your own baseball hat station. As a bonus, we helped raise money for Emancipet and Austin Smiles, two local non-profits and raffle away some amazing prizes.
Norma and I also participated as BBQ judges. Norma was a ribs judge and I got to be a brisket judge (of course). So much meat was eaten, that I had the meat sweats by the end. As a brisket smoker myself, I appreciate the challenges and effort put in by the entrants. Prepping, smoking, and resting a brisket in 9 hours is challenging for even the most accomplished smoking enthusiast.
As the fun and festivities come to a close, I want to make sure to thank my staff (Norma and Hannah), the Buda Lion’s Club, Misty (for donating LaRoche Posse sunscreen), Magnolia Family Dentistry (for donating prizes to our raffle), and everyone that donated money at our tent to Emancipet and Austin Smiles. We look forward to coming back next year.