Last Saturday, April 11, Alpha Tau Omega put on their fourth annual Taus for Paws Spring Carnival. The event was held from 12 to 3 p.m. in Mad Bowl and included live music, food, a dunk tank, carnival games, and dogs from the local SPCA available to play with. The best part was that all the dogs there from the shelter were up for adoption. Last year, two dogs found new homes because of the event!

All proceeds from ticket and T-shirt sales were donated to the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA, which is a no-kill organization. The event proved to be a great opportunity for the dogs, who get some time to stretch their legs and enjoy the beautiful weather on the open field. Javi Badillo, ATO’s Philanthropy Chair, mentioned that the carnival sets itself apart from many other fraternity’s philanthropy events because it a great way to engage with the Charlottesville community. Guests of all ages enjoyed a day in the sun with lovable pups. A couple of the favorites from this year were Freddy, a Treeing Walker Coonhound cross, and Tilly, a foxhound cross.

Thanks to fundraising efforts before and after the event as well as ticket and t-shirt sales during the carnival, ATO was able to raise over $3,000 for the shelter, shattering their mark last year by over $1,000. The brothers would like to thank everyone who contributed to the event in any way, from our sponsors to those who showed up to pet some pups and they look forward to continuing fostering their relationship with the local SPCA and the Charlottesville community through Taus for Paws in the future.