For dog owners on the South Fork, the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons Stroll to the Sea is usually among the most anticipated events of Columbus Day weekend, but this year, like so many other things, the popular fund-raising event will go virtual.
Rather than gathering in East Hampton for a walk to Main Beach and back to raise money for the organization, families can register online, get their event T-shirts with artwork by the designer Isaac Mizrahi, and walk wearing them anytime between Saturday and Oct. 11.
The registration fee is $30, or $10 for kids 10 and under. T-shirts can be picked up Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at a drive-through station at the ARF Adoption Center at 124 Daniel's Hole Road in East Hampton.
Participants can also help raise more money for ARF by setting up their own fund-raising pages or joining a team at give.arfhamptons.org/DogWalk. Top fund-raisers have a chance to win a summer 2021 share at Amber Waves Farm in Amagansett, an 8-by-10 acrylic portrait of your pet by the artist Ellen Silverberg, and a photo shoot with Dee McMeekan of Dee Is for Dogs.
There will be prizes from local businesses for the "most spirited" and creative participants, who can prove themselves by posting photos and videos of their walks on social media and tagging @arfhamptons #ARFpride. They should be wearing their ARF event T-shirts in the posts.