KEYSTONE CLUSTER 2021: THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE GREAT SECRETARIAT HOSTS A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
“THANKS TO VARIOUS DONATIONS BY GENEROUS MEMBERS OF THE DOG COMMUNITY, THE ‘GALA’ HAS ALWAYS HAD A FANTASTIC DRAWING WITH PHENOMENAL CASH AND OTHER PRIZES. THERE IS ALWAYS SUPERB FOOD, AND AN ACTUAL RECREATED CASINO TO GAMBLE AT WITH SLOTS, BLACK JACK, CRAPS, AND ROULETTE.”
This year, because of the ongoing COVID restrictions in Penn- sylvania at the time the contracts needed to be signed, Penn Ridge decided to investigate finding an alternate site in hopes of being able to hold their shows. The AKC granted permission for the Penn Ridge Kennel Club to hold their 2021 shows at the site of several dog show weekends this year: Meadow Event Park, located in Doswell, Virginia. The Greater Philadelphia Dog Fanciers Association and the Hunting- don Valley Kennel Club, two clubs that were also unable to hold shows in Pennsylvania on their normal dates, decided to join the cluster. It was the first time these clubs shared a cluster. The chair- persons from all three clubs (John Constantine-Amodei, Lloyd Constantine-Amodei, Sue Ratz, Charlie Olvis, and Liz Muthard) worked tirelessly to put it all together and to see that everything ran smoothly during the shows.
The wonderful World of Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean, and sev- eral others. The themes bring out the best in costume design from various exhibitors. Thanks to various donations by generous mem- bers of the dog community, the “Gala” has always had a fantastic drawing with phenomenal cash and other prizes. There is always superb food, and an actual recreated casino to gamble at with Slots, Black Jack, Craps, and Roulette. This year, they even had horse racing to bet on using “play money,” with the winnings traded in for additional raffle tickets for the drawings at the end of the eve- ning. Of course, there is always music, and I have had the pleasure to volunteer as the DJ for each of these events through the years. As everyone knows, COVID hit us in 2020. The PRKC and HKC shows, like many others, were canceled. However, The Penn Ridge Kennel Club Charitable Foundation still managed to help with a raffle last year to benefit Take the Lead along with another raffle to raise funds for the Scholarship Fund.
102 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2021
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