fundraiser: may 18, 2024 - donate a smidge for smudge

UPDATE: The fundraiser was a huge success and Smudge will be joining Terrance as soon as her training is complete. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated and attended.

Appointed Church is planning a family-friendly event to raise funds for a medical service dog named Smudge. The fundraiser will be Saturday, May 18, from noon to 5 p.m. at The South House Event Center, 2650 36th Ave. SE, in Ruskin.

Terrance Parmm is a member of the church and operates the audio and video during services. His current service dog, a yellow labrador retriever named Malone, is retiring after many faithful years of service with Terrance. Malone’s age and medical issues are mounting and he can no longer function at his original capacity.

Medical service dogs are trained to respond to and support an individual who has certain medical conditions. The dog’s main role is to alert their owner when they detect a change in their baseline condition. This alert from the dog allows the owner to immediately work to counteract the change or get to a safe area. 

It goes without saying that a medical service dog’s training is rigorous, specialized and expensive. Terrance needs $16,000 for his new dog, Smudge. 

To help raise those funds the church is hosting a family-friendly barbecue with dinners offered at $10 each that includes smoked, pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans, a roll and tea or water. 

To keep everyone entertained, there will be free music from local artists, and a waterslide for the kids. For purchase there will be tickets for a chance to win the 50/50 drawing, and raffle items. Or satisfy your sweet tooth at the bake sale and ice cream area.

In addition to dinners, you can purchase a whole, smoked pork butt for $40 by pre-ordering and paying through the church’s Venmo (@TESTUDO1) or Paypal (@testudoministries). Please type ‘PORK’ in the “for” area on the apps. Your can also access these payment portals through the church website at https://appointed.church/giving. There may be pork butts available for sale at the end of the day, but it’s suggested to pre-order to guarantee your purchase.

For more information contact the church at info@appointedchurch.org or call 813-601-2649. For directions to The South House visit www.SouthHouse.us. 

You may also use the above payment methods to make a donation to a Smidge for Smudge through the church. Appointed Church is a 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax deductible. The church is located at 6420 Lithia Pinecrest Road, Lithia, FL 33547, and pastored by Mike Paquin. Join them for Sunday services at 10 a.m. and Wednesday mid-week services at 6:30 p.m.