SUNBURY, Pa. — With Kitt the Knightrider, who even spoke Spanish, and WWE Raw superstar Gene Snitsky, this all came together for the Rock for Rescues fundraising event in Sunbury.
Mary and Dennis Marquette saw first-hand how difficult it could be for local dog rescues to find the help and funds they need.
"I got the chance to see what the rescues actually go through and their needs, and when I decided I was going to do the event. I thought, well, why just do one rescue? So we wanted to make it a bigger event," said Mary Marquette, Rock for Rescues Coordinator.
And a big event it was with other cars and motorcycles on display. They even had a doggy kissing booth for everyone to enjoy.
The beneficiaries of this event are two local rescues: Rescue Pets Serving Vets and Mommy and Me Rescue.
"It's been a really bad year for all rescues, and you know, especially with taking medical cases this year, it's been overwhelming, and so having this fundraiser is just like an answered prayer, you know," said Carol Kalinowski, Mommy & Me Rescue Founder, President
While Rescue Pets Serving Vets provides companions for veterans free of charge. Son of founder Casey and Connor Shonis says the rescue hit a milestone just last month.
"Yes, it was awesome. Actually, our 2,000th dog we adopted was to one of the locals and vets in there who's a veteran, and oh my gosh, it meant the world to us. We'd been working towards it for the last couple of years here, and it's meant a lot to my mom, especially with her situation," said Connor Shonis, volunteer and son of founder Rescue Pets Serving Vets.
An answered prayer for his mother, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease four years ago when she made it the rescue's mission to reach her goal of getting two thousand dogs into a loving home.
Into homes like the one Pico is in now.
"Pico was in a free box at a yard sale, and when I pulled him out of the box, he was so overgrown and matted, and he couldn't really see," said Debbie Bilger, Snyder County.
This fun-filled fundraiser was an answered prayer for rescues like Pico.