A dog-gone good start to Rotary contest

ALTON — Duane Hammond, chair of the Alton Centennial Rotary  Art Contest, said this years "Paint a Puppy" contest is off to a great start.

At Rotary’s recent Home, Garden and Recreation show at Prospect Mountain High School, attended by 1,300 people, nearly two dozen blank plywood cut-out silhouette images of a puppy were picked up to be painted and entered into the contest.

This is Rotary’s fourth annual art contest. The first contest was “Paint a Pig" in 2016, an effort to raise funds for Meals on Wheels. It was followed by "Paint a Butterfly" for Hospice and the VNA, and last year, "Paint your Bass" for Pure Water for the World.

This year, "Paint a Puppy" is to raise funds for the Alton and New Durham police K-9 corps and the Barnstead Police Department.

Anyone interested in participating — students or adults — may enter the contest by going to Profile Bank in downtown Alton to sign up and pick up a puppy. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. - noon.

There are three puppy breeds to select from: Scotty, Lab, and a Mutt. There’s a small fee to enter, and cash prizes for both first and second place and popular choice, and trophies awarded for honorable mentions in both student and adult categories.

In August, during Alton’s Old Home Week celebration, all entries will be put on public display at the "Puppies in the Park" exhibit, at the B&M Railroad Park, downtown Alton, behind the Alton Town Hall, from noon to 3 p.m. The winners will be announced at that time, with prizes awarded. There will be free cake and ice cream for everyone, and all who have a dog are also invited to bring their pet to the exhibit, on a leash and with a pooper scooper.

For further information, contact Duane Hammond at 603-569-3745.