Blue Mountain Animal Rescue Society held its 10th annual Rockin’ Rescue event to raise revenue to save abused and neglected animals. The three-day event from Friday to Sunday almost did not happen, but with the encouragement from the community as well as the reality of the animals’ ongoing need, it was a no-brainer for Blue Mountain to make it happen.

“We had a lot of pressure from the public to hold the event,” Donna Crum, Blue Mountain humane officer, said. “We weighed out the pros and cons. The truth is that if we didn’t have the event, a lot of rescues would close.”

Crum said that it was difficult coming to that realization because everything was at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic but she quickly realized that the animals still needed help, which wasn’t going to change with world events.

“We had to make a decision: Have the event or stop helping animals,” Crum said. “If people still want to have the number to call, we need them to support us as long as we’re adhering to the guidelines. We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”

Blue Mountain had meetings to discuss precautions that needed to be taken, and they reported that every vendor participated in putting up signs regarding masks and social distancing.

Vendors had been waiting to hear the rescue’s decision until about three weeks before the event was set to begin. Crum said there was no issue in getting vendors onboard with preparing and attending last minute because most of them have been participating in the event for nearly the entire decade of its existence.

One of the tents, Gombert Family Games, said the main difference in the way they did business is the increased sanitation requirements.

“We weren’t able to bring the Ferris wheel or the train,” Dean Gombert, owner of Gombert Family Games, said. “It would’ve been impossible to keep up with the sanitation requirements.”

On Saturday, the second day of the three-day event, Aileen Steigerwalt of Steigerwalt Crafts said although there wasn’t much profit to be made, she was glad to support the event and said she enjoys what she does.

Faye Valenti, Owner of Miss Faye’s Sweets & Treats, said people are supporting Crum and the rescue she works at because they stand for a good cause.

A former rescuer and a private agent herself, Valenti knew Crum personally and worked with her on multiple occasions over the years to help find animals a home. Valenti says her love for the cause is why she comes out to support events like the Rockin’ Rescue.

Each year the rescue works to create a theme for their shirts, and this year the theme was “Kings and Queens of Quarantine” with pictures of animals to go along with the phrase.

The idea stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic and it causing people to go into quarantine. The rescued animals, however, are used to doing that because once rescued, all animals are quarantined for a certain amount of time and the rescuers are trained in quarantining.

Blue Mountain wasn’t allowed to hold their usual carnival or rabies clinic or showcase some of their animals due to current regulations.

The rabies clinic will take place as a separate event in August but the date is to be determined and will be posted on their Facebook page by the name of Blue Mountain Animal Rescue Society.