Helping Hands Humane Society of Topeka, KS

Bone Appetit History

Bone Appetit is our annual celebration of the unique bond between humans and animals. Since its inception in 2001, this event had been held during The American Humane Association’s National Be Kind to Animals Week, observed during the first week in May. We have moved this event to the first week of June, and it will continue to be held that week.

Bone Appetit 2009 Margrritaville

Bone Appetit 2008 Barn Bash

Bone Appetit 2007 was held once again at the Topeka Holiday Inn Holidome. Guests were welcomed with a cocktail hour and silent auction. The highlight of the evening was the popular live auction and “pet parade” with shelter dogs auctioning
the outfits right off their backs. “The Exceptions” entertained the guests with their vivacious sound. Bone Appetit 2007 set a record as it raised over $16,400 for the homeless pets of HHHS.

Bone Appetit 2006 returned to the Topeka Holiday Inn Holidome where nearly 300 guests enjoyed a pasta and cheesecake bar, participated in silent and live auctions and danced until the dogs came home with entertainment from Topeka's
premiere band - The Exceptions. More than $16,000 was raised for the care of homeless animal seeking refuge at Helping Hands.

Bone Appetit 2005 moved to the Topeka Holiday Inn Holidome. More than 300 guests bid on silent and live auction items, were entertained by the HHHS pets during an even more spectacular Pet Fashion Show and enjoyed dancing the
night away to Topeka’s Premiere Band - The Exceptions. Bone Appetit has changed and grown over the years, thanks to the generosity of Hill’s Pet Nutrition. The HHHS Staff, volunteers and Board of Directors would like to thank Hill’s for their support and involvement in our fundraising efforts.

Bone Appetit 2004 continued to grow as it became a “Howlin’ Good Time” and the “Purr-fect” party at Aboud’s at Western Hill’s. This “Bone” was the biggest yet - in attendance and fundraising. More than 200 guests enjoyed food, a silent and live auction plus an “Auction the Clothes off their Backs Pet Fashion Show.” The Music Box’s Sonny Heller entertained the crowd with his blend of current and past dance hits. More than $8,000 was raised to assist Helping Hands Humane Society’s operational budget.

Bone Appetit 2003 took on a lighter approach to celebrate the human-animal bond. The event moved across the hall to the Shawnee Room at the Expocentre to take advantage of its intimate stage and dance floor. This “Bone” featured hors
d’oeuvres, a silent auction, Pet Parade Fashion Show featuring a live auction where fashions were worn by HHHS dogs and sold to the highest bidder. The Pet Parade was followed by a dance with Big John and the 39th Street Blues Band
from Kansas City.

Bone Appetit 2002 featured Sergeant Timothy Fisher, of the New York State Police. Sgt. Fisher is a K-9 trainer and coordinated the K-9 search units in New York City following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11,
2001. His stark slides and first hand accounts of the dogs rescue efforts in the aftermath of that great tragedy were overwhelming.

Bone Appetit 2001 began as an “educational” banquet with a keynote speaker at the Kansas Expocentre. Our very first guest speaker was author John Burnam. John served as an infantryman and scout dog handler in the U.S. Army during
the Vietnam Conflict in the late 1960’s. John’s book, Dog Tags of Courage, tells the story of his experiences in Viet Nam with his K-9 partners. John and his dog Clipper’s story was featured in a documentary “War Dogs: America’s Forgotten
Heroes” on the Discovery Channel. John, former President of the Viet Nam Dog Handlers Association, continues his group’s lobbying efforts to create a memorial in Washington D.C. to honor the war dogs that serve our country.

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