When Michele Geiger-Bronsky launched the Door County Scottie Rally in 2001, with nine Scottish terriers and 24 people coming to Baileys Harbor for the occasion, she never thought the gathering would not only keep going to celebrate a 25th anniversary but also grow as large and popular as it has.
“Absolutely not,” Geiger-Bronsky said. “When we did the first Scottie Rally, I didn’t think we were going to continue to hold it on an annual basis. I certainly didn’t think we’d raise and donate as much money to Scottie research as we have.”
Yet the nonprofit rally has survived, thrived and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Scottish terrier health research and Scottie rescue programs across the country while drawing Scotties and their human owners – or humans and their Scottie owners, the Scotties might well believe – from 44 states and five countries over the years in what has become one of the largest rallies for Scotties in the U.S.
And to celebrate and commemorate its “‘Ears’ to 25 Years!” 25th anniversary in 2025, the Door County Scottie Rally will hold several events in Baileys Harbor over the rally weekend, May 16 to 18, that are open to the public. In past years, the Parade of Scots on the Saturday of rally weekend – yes, Scottish terriers strolling down the street – was the only event open to those who weren’t registered for the rally.
Geiger-Bronsky, the rally’s founder and president, said part of the reason for the new public events, besides the rally’s 25th anniversary, is this is the first time the rally has collaborated closely with the town and the Baileys Harbor Community Association, which generally had been busy working on its Blessing of the Fleet community festival that same weekend in past years.
This year, the rally’s public events are combined with the Blessing of the Fleet events, which include the town’s first Sunday farmers market of the season, into what the community association is calling the Baileys Big Weekend from May 16 to 18.
Plus, it provides a few chances for people who don’t own or know about Scotties, or are wondering why so many are around Baileys Harbor for the weekend and marching down the street for the parade, to learn about them, Geiger-Bronsky said.
The events are a “Meet the Scotties” session with an information/donation booth at 6 p.m. May 16 at Sway Brewing + Blending microbrewpub on County F (the brewery will donate 10% of the purchase price to the rally when those buying a brew mention the rally) and “Aroos & Banter Barkistas” with some Scotties on hand at 9 a.m. May 18 at Roost & Banter Cafe on State 57. Plus, the rally will have an information booth at the May 17 vendor fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that’s part of the Baileys Big Weekend.
“We’re doing it as a way to reach out to the community,” Geiger-Bronsky said. “For 25 years, Scotties have been coming to this community, and I think people don’t understand why.”
The reasons they come to Baileys Harbor are training sessions and seminars about the unique breed of dog, the chance to mingle with other Scottie owners and exchange ideas and advice, and medical screenings for the dogs. Although Scotties are generally a healthy and strong breed, they also can be prone to several health issues such as liver problems and various cancers. Owners who register for the rally also can sign up to have their Scotties’ blood drawn on site for use in research and as data.
To that end, and importantly for Geiger-Bronsky and the board of directors, the rally is a major fundraiser to support national Scottish terrier health research and local and regional Scottie rescue programs across the country. Proceeds from the rally and other fundraising events have generated more than $530,000 over its 24 years, with about $347,000 of that going to the rescue programs and more than $180,000 toward health research, according to the rally website.
This year’s fundraising also includes an online auction that’s open from May 10 to 17 on the rally website, featuring items for different breeds of dogs, Door County-themed gift items and, of course, Scottie-themed decor and gifts.
As for the ever-popular Parade of Scots, it has the dogs and their owners, who are encouraged to dress for the event appropriately, often in their best tartans or costumes based on the annual theme of the rally, gather at Town Hall on May 17 and strut down County F/EE in Baileys Harbor starting at 11:15 a.m. The sound of bagpipes will accompany the march as the Madison Pipes & Drums corps leads out the parade.
In its history, the rally has drawn as many as 200 Scottie owners and their four-legged partners from across the country, from the West Coast to Maine and Florida, and countries as far away as Australia and South Africa. Last year’s event brought Scotties from 11 states as well as Scotland and the Netherlands.
Geiger-Bronsky said registrations are a bit down so far this year, she thinks because of economic uncertainty in the country, but that won’t affect the attitude of her and her board about this 25th anniversary rally.
“It’s not about the quantity. It’s about the fun we have with our dogs,” she said.
Door County Scottie Rally seminars and gatherings require advance registration and are closed to the public except as noted. For more information, call 920-493-5664 or visit doorcountyscottierally.com or facebook.com/scottierally.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County Scottie Rally celebrates 25th year with public events and Parade of Scots
Reporting by Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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