We are constantly refining the activities that we hold at the event. Some are held each year and others are run every few years. The schedule will be updated with the list of activities for the year. Some will make it, others will not.
Here is information on a few of the activities we have held in the past.
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Blessing of the Hounds - This is a non-denominational service where attendees and their dogs come to thank god for the life they have been given together.
Chicken Barbecue - On Saturday, ARC of Adams County runs a chicken barbecue. You dinner purchases not only provide you with a great meal but support the activities of this worth charity. They run it in a outdoor area so either sit and eat with your dogs around your or take it with you.
Dobbin House Social - This social is run on Friday and Saturday nights in the patio in front of the Dobbin House in Gettysburg. This is an easy walk from most hotels in town. Because it is on the patio, you can bring your dog but you might consider giving them a rest. We pay for a cheese & veggie table. They provide a cash bar for you to get a drink. If the weather does not co-operate then we move the food trays to the social room at the 1863 Inn at Gettysburg.
Drawing and Coloring Contests - This is a great event for the kids be they one year old or fifteen. They are actually 4 contests. We have separate contests for drawing and coloring. Then divide each by age groups, 0-8 and 9-15. First and second place in each group wins a prize.
Fun Run - On Sunday in the local park, Keystone Greyhounds runs a fun run in a ball field. They close off the field and allow 5 muzzled dogs at a time to run off some energy before the car trip home.
Greyhound Costume Contest -
The contest is open to the whole family with the requirement that one of the participants is a greyhound. The prizes are donated by the Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg and mall stores. In the past, winners in the following categories have been chosen.
Funniest
Best Civil War Theme (can you say
Rhett Butler or Scarlett O'Hara?)
Most Patriotic
Most Creative
Greyhound Games - You come to the event with your dog. Why not play some games with them. We run 3 games open to teams of humans and their canine. Here are some of the games we have run in the past:
Greyhound
Speed Dressing Contest. Have you ever played dress-up as a child? Well,
this time you get to play it with your greyhound. The game will consist of a
team round and an individual round. The object is to dress your greyhound in a
shirt, hat, and socks and race from the dressing area to the removal spot in
the shortest amount of time.
Waggiest
Tail Contest. Think you have a happy dog? How good are you at
getting your dog to respond to you? Get your companion (your pooch, not your
spouse or child) to wag his or her tail with the most enthusiasm using only a
vegetable name and their name, such as: Asparagus! Asparagus, Fido!
Bobbing
for Treats Contest. Do you have a chow hound? Why not put your
pooch to the test? This game consists of a water bowl filled with water. When
we say 'Go', the human drops some treats in the water bowl. The fastest dog to 'bob' for the yummy liver treats, eat them all, and have their human say that
they completed the task wins a prize.
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Group Roo - This is the final activity of the event. A greyhound "roo" as a group is a great way to finish the event.
Greyhound Obstacle Course - This is a simple introductory course that we have held at the park on Sunday morning. It introduces you and your greyhound to the fun of participating in running courses like this. Everyone begins the course saying that their dog can't do it and finishes with a new respect for what their dog can do. At the end, your dog gets a biscuit.
Harley-Davidson Meet & Greet - The kind folks at the local Harley-Davidson have been a supporter of this event and many other charitable events for years. Friday night begins with a get together and barbecue provided by the dealership for our attendees. The food and soda is free. The showroom is open to you and the dogs.
During this activity, we break with tradition from other events. We hold a raffle in which we do not sell tickets. The raffle is free and open to all attendees. You just need to show up during the raffle to get your ticket. Crazy isn't it? The prizes are donated by the local Gettysburg business community. There is a wide range of prizes that we are sure to please you.
Ice Cream Social - Take a break and have a little ice cream with your greyhound. This event has been run for a number of years by Keystone Kids of Keystone Greyhound, GPA. We started with having ice cream for only the dogs. After a few years of watching them have all of the fun, we opened it up to humans too.
Parade - How else does one celebrate capturing a town, but with a parade. Each year, we are welcomed by the residents of Gettysburg and we have a parade down the center of the main street of the mall. All attendees are invited to march in the parade and display signs with the names of their adoption organization.
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Raffles - We hold a number of raffles during the event. They include a raffle of items donated to us by the vendors at the event and raffles of items of special interests. Tickets for these raffles are generally sold as part of the registration process. Often, we provide a final chance during the day on Friday to purchase more tickets. We announce the winners on Saturday. You must present your ticket and pick up your prize before 5pm on Friday.
Vendor raffle - Our vendors are very generous to us. They go out of their way to donate special items for this raffle. These items become either individual raffle items or part of a combined set of items. We group the prizes so that each prize is well worth the cost of a ticket. In general, we try to create about 30 prizes for this raffle so you have plenty of chances to win.
Special raffles - This raffle is consists of special high priced prizes. In the past, it has included a Greyhound Memorial, special greyhound jewelry, and also a Bissel Pet Rug Cleaner.
Rainbow Bridge Ceremony - On Sunday morning in the park, we get together with our new and old friends to remember our pets that have crossed the rainbow bridge.
Scavenger Hunts - We have run two different scavenger hunts. Both are non-timed and based on a clue sheet. One is to locate various businesses at the mall and the other is to locate businesses in downtown Gettysburg.
Seminars - Each year, we host 5-7 seminars during the event on Friday and Saturday. The seminars cover a wide range of topics related to greyhounds and the history of Gettysburg. The topics have included:
Second Chance at Life, Greyhound and inmate prison partnership program by Gaye Ann Weaver and Beverly Sebastian
Talks by Rory Goree, president of Greyhound Pets of America, covering the greyhound adoption programs and the state of the industry.
The story of Gettysburg National Park by the National Park Service Historian for the park.
The life of a racing Greyhound by Jim and Dianne Schadle
Ghosts of Gettysburg by well known author, Mark Nesbitt
Canine Massage by LeAnn Zalasky
How to make a coat for your greyhound by Steve and Paula Gessner
Speed Run - We all know a greyhound can run over 40 miles per hour, but how fast can your greyhound run. We set up a straight track and for a small donation, you can run you dog along the track and we will check its speed with a radar detector. All dog participants receive a certificate with their speed on it.
Vendor Sales - We bring together approximately 40 vendors with greyhound related items for sale. They set up in a side parking lot of the Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg mall on Friday and Saturday. This venue provides you with lots of space to shop and walk with your dog.
1863 Social - At the end of the day on Friday and Saturday, we set up tables and chairs in a social room in the 1863 Inn at Gettysburg (formerly the Holiday Inn Battlefield). The hotel bar will sell you drinks or you bring your own. Sit back with the family and meet new friends.
