Paws for the Cause

After 16 years of brutal walks and sore feet, the final Paws For The Cause Walkathon ended on December 21, 2020. The walk commenced in 2005 as a 27 mile stroll from the Taos Ski Valley to the Stakeout restaurant in Ranchos De Taos. The event was the brainchild of Ben Mitchell, son of Leanne Mitchell, President of TFFF, with Ben marching every year until 2018 when the format was switched to a virtual walk. As the main fundraiser for the charity, over $300,000 was raised during its 16 year history. In conjunction with the event, a party and silent auction was hosted by the Stakeout Restaurant until its closure, then the Sagebrush Inn and the Bent Masonic Lodge of Taos. Party attendees enjoyed musical performances by leading Taos entertainers: Jimmy Stadler, the Jenny Vincent Trio, Kim Treiber, Billy Stewart, Billy and Johnny Archuleta and many more.

According to Ms. Mitchell, "Paws For The Cause was vital for funding the charity. To garner donations, we had signup sheets at businesses all around Taos and would phone as many people as we could to get pledges. Unfortunately, the pandemic made signup sheets impractical. Telephoning became less productive due to the overwhelming popularity of cell phones with unlisted phone numbers and some donors, bombarded with countless scam and robot calls, had sincere privacy concerns. Beginning in 2021, we will now reach out to supporters primarily via mail to raise funds and to discuss local animal welfare issues."

The official walkers included (in chronological order): Ben Mitchell (Taos High), Zack Draim (Taos High), Miguel Robles (Taos High), Mish Rosete (Taos High), Marc Kaplan (former Marketing Director of Taos Mountain Casino), Dr. Kim Sides (owner of Salazar Road Veterinary Clinic), Pamela Guyer (owner of Taos Spa and Tennis Club), Susan Ammann (owner of the Ammann Gallery) and Sue Kelly (owner of Acorn Graphics). Many others joined the event as guests and friends. Thank you to all of them!