Fun for all at the Sibley, Iowa, 5K Pet Walk

• 5K Pet Walk

ryan mcgaughey/daily globe Jennifer Beyer stands with her Rottweiler/German Shepherd, Sophie, Saturday morning in Sibley.

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SIBLEY, Iowa — The distance may have not have been nearly as great as advertised and there may not have been a variety of animals, but Saturday morning’s 5K Pet Walk was still enjoyable for the folks who came out and took part.

The walk, coordinated for the first time, was part of Sibley’s Good Ole Time celebration, which included plenty of other activities throughout the day Saturday. As it turned out, the walk literally went to the dogs — about 10 dogs took part in a couple-of-lap stroll with their families around the community’s Central Park.

Organized by the Beacon of Hope Relay For Life team as a fundraiser, Saturday’s walk was essentially a “Bark For Life,” but that was OK with team member Bobbie Snow and her sister-in-law, Beth Snow-Ketchum.

“Beth and I are both cancer survivors and she also had a dog die of cancer,” said Snow, accompanied by Dulce, a 6-year-old Akita. “About three years ago I started toying with the idea. … Of our team members, there are three dog siblings — we have a dog, and our son and his wife, their dog has eight puppies.”

Snow-Ketchum, who lives in Wallingford, Iowa, said she lost her dog, Holly, a year ago to cancer. By the time she and her family realized their pet was sick, her condition was too advanced. That’s part of the reason she was eager to make the trip to Sibley for a cancer fundraiser that was ultimately dog-dominated.

“I think there are other Relay teams around the country that do Barks For Life,” she said.

With the Osceola County Relay for Life scheduled for Aug. 5, there’s still plenty of time to raise money. That’s something that hasn’t been too problematic in the past throughout the county, noted Snow, a past 10-year chair of the Relay and a current member of its board.

“Over 10 years we’ve won plenty of statewide awards for having the highest participation per capita for money raised,” she said. “It’s incredible, and we also get a very good survivor turnout each year.”

Saturday’s turnout for the walk may have been on the small side, but the people — and dogs — enjoyed their time together. A mix that included a Puggle, a Golden Doodle, a Rottweiler/German Shepherd, a Pure Golden Retriever, Boxer, Shorkie and Bischon Poodle walked around the park, and there was later several door prizes awarded to them and their owners.

“Then, we let the dogs have a little talent show and do any trick they wanted,” Snow said. “We’ve got prizes for the oldest dog and youngest dog. We even have one dog with a kissing booth.”

Among Saturday’s other Good Ole Summertime activities were a youth fishing event, a fire and rescue open house, fun, games and food along Main Street, a parade, musical entertainment and a car cruise.

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