BATON ROUGE — Looking for a unique way to blow off some steam while supporting a great cause? Mark the calendars for the inaugural Sparkhound Smash-A-Thon, taking place on October 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Celtic Studios, Stage 2, in Baton Rouge.
The event blends technology and animal welfare in a way rarely seen.
Heidi Weatherbee, from the Companion Animal Alliance (CAA), explained to UWK how the Sparkhound approached CAA for what’s now become the first-ever Smash-A-Thon.
“They came to us wanting to do a recycling sort of thing, and we loved the idea of combining technology frustrations with animal welfare,” she shared. “How often do you see a combination of technology and animal welfare? Everyone gets frustrated with technology, so it could be fun to bring people together and take a little rage out on an old printer!”
While the event won’t have live animals, due to the stress and noise, the CAA will be there with a booth full of information. The Smash-A-Thon promises to be a family-friendly, community-centered event.
“They’re going to have food and games for kids to play, and even want people to bring old technology—like printers or computers—to smash.”
There’s more to the event than just smashing outdated gadgets. For those looking for a different type of stress relief, an industrial shredder will be available on-site. If anyone has old documents or clutter that needs trashing, this is the perfect chance.
Tickets are priced at $10 per person, and all proceeds will benefit the Companion Animal Alliance, an organization dedicated to improving the welfare of pets in the community. Weatherbee expressed her gratitude, saying, “We’re thrilled Sparkhound even thought of us. It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce a different demographic into the animal welfare world.”
As CAA is still working at nearly full, with several animals in need of foster homes, this event comes at a crucial time. However, thanks to community support, they’ve seen positive movement in adoptions, particularly after recent hurricane efforts.
“The response from the community for the hurricane support has been overwhelmingly wonderful. We’ve had a few foster fails turn into forever homes,” Heidi said with a smile.
Visit smash.sparkhound.com for more information and to purchase your tickets in advance.
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