Blossman Gas and Appliance has decided to help raise money for the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter, organizing and sponsoring a special fundraiser event as big as the shelter’s need.

Paulette Walton, with the Friends of the Shelter, said this is a new kind of event only possible through the outside company’s support.

“It is monumental,” Walton said. “This is a local business that will not just help, but sponsor an event.”

The fundraiser will double as a cookout, with hotdogs and hamburgers, as well as inflatables, a raffle for a new grill and animals from the shelter participants can adopt.

“This is going to have something for everyone,” she said. “They will have a lot of enjoyable opportunities.”

The fundraiser is part of the Friends of the Shelter organization’s larger efforts to continue raising awareness for the shelter and highlighting its need for both donations, monetary or not, and volunteers.

“Without the support, the shelter would just be a place to have animals until they die,” she said.

She said they hope the event encourages other businesses to lend their support to their cause, as well.

“The shelter is dependent on donations and contributions,” Walton said. “It is vital to the shelter to be involved.”

The event itself is free, but the fundraiser portion of the event comes from grill cylinder refills the company will offer at a discounted $5 per cylinder.

She said all proceeds from the event will go to the Friends of the shelter.

“This will be at a good location,” Walton said.

She said the company has been around since the 1950s, so their support in particular means a great deal.

As for other ways to support the shelter, Walton said they can always use volunteers.

“You can make it what you want to,” she said.

If walking with or taking care of the animals themselves is not the person’s area of comfort, they can do other tasks like cleaning the cages or other forms of labor. Anything a person can do to help contributes to the shelter’s ability to provide its services.

The fundraiser will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Blossman, located at 1121 US-19E in Elizabethton. For more information, contact the shelter at 423-547-6359.