Tailgates are often a place for team bonding. Generally, puppies are not part of the equation. However, this year, the FHN and FHC branches of HOSA  teamed up with PALS in order to change that.  PALS, a nonprofit animal shelter based out of Troy, brought 10 dogs to the tailgate on Friday, which lasted from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. 

“It turned out amazing, and I love all the people interacting with the animals,” Corin Walton, a volunteer who has been with PALS for seven years, said. “The animals love it, I can tell. PALS also received many donations of food and toys from excited students and families.”

This is the first year this partnership has taken place. Both schools hope to be able to continue this in future.

“It’s really cool that [FHN and FHC] were able to come together,” FHC HOSA President Cooper Redington said. “This is such a cool event put together by awesome people.”

FHN and FHC HOSA began talking about this event, as well as contacting PALS in August. Final preparations, such as setting up tent and cash registers, began in mid-September. According to HOSA Chief of Staff Juan Alega, over $1,000 were raised.

“We would be open to doing this again with FHC because if it was just our high school, there wouldn’t be as big of a turnout as there was yesterday,” Alega said.