The History of the Bull City Boxer Bash by Melanie Mosier.
The Boxer Bash began 9 years with four CBR volunteers sitting around a table discussing how we could do events bigger and better. I had followed another rescue group who was doing a very large raffle but we always thought about a food truck rodeo. Eventually the Bash was born – we’d have raffle baskets, food trucks and vendors. Of course, we had to name it the Bull City Boxer Bash since it was being held in Durham, NC!
We set the goal at $5,000 and thought we’d NEVER make that much money at one event…. no way!! It hadn’t been done before! But our supporters proved us wrong and the 1st Bash, through a rainy day, location change, food truck and vendor cancellations, brought in $5k!!!! To say we were on top of the world would be an understatement! We really did it!!!!
The intervening years, even through Covid when the Bash was an online event only, have seen the Bull City Boxer Bash grow in all aspects……money raised, sponsors, vendors, attendees – all of it. And boy have we learned a lot too!!!! Looking back, we truly didn’t have a clue what we were doing with the 1st Bash. We were just winging it until the seventh Boxer Bash when we ever created a real working map to place our vendors and sponsors and raffles and food trucks!
Some of our vendors have been with us since the first Bash, and have said they can’t wait for it to come around every year. We take pride in the quality and diversity of our vendors. Our sponsors are the backbone of the Bash and without them we wouldn’t be nearly as successful as we are. Our host, Durty Bull Brewing, has been with us since our first Boxer Bash and is just absolutely phenomenal to work with every year!.
The money raised at the Bash goes toward the vet and medical care of our boxers, and, yes, the money is super important. But just as important are the people we’ve met and the relationships we’ve bult and maintained to this day! Yes, I want to raise as much money as possible but those relationships? That’s what I want just as much – the people who come back every year, the returning the sponsors, the folks who are impressed at what we do and how the Bash operates, the ones who say “thanks for putting on this event – it was great!”
People think I’m the driving force behind the Bash, but it truly takes a team effort. I’m do a lot of the background work myself, but my Bull City Boxer Bash Team is nothing short of amazing! They cheer me on, they pick me up when I’m down or frustrated, and they show up ready to go on the day of the Bash!! We are a fluid machine with each one of us knowing what to do! I usually feel like I’m running around in circles not getting much accomplished the day of the Boxer Bash but when I take a moment to pause and look around, I am in awe of all of the work the team does to make the event what it is today. I am so incredibly proud of what the Bash become and what it continues to become.
But we couldn’t do the Bash without our community of supporters, whether they’re sponsoring, donating or buying raffle tickets or merchandise or just showing up and lending a hand!! It only works because of YOU!!
If you want to sponsor the Bash, the form can be found on our website. Even your boxer(s) can even sponsor the Bash and get their name(s) on the Bash t-shirts!
If you’d like to help with the raffle, the Amazon Wish Link is:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1Y0MVS9HUE43J?ref_=wl_share
The Bash’s philosophy is that it can’t just be about CBR – that it to be about everyone who supports us. We ALL have to be successful at the Bash and I’m proud to say I think we’ve done a damn good job of that.
See you on November 1st!!