Stride for Strays, the Animal Coalition of Tampa's major annual fundraiser, is over. The event last Saturday featuring the Johnny G Lyon Band, 26 teams of walkers and 30 vendors, raised about $42,000. Hundreds of folks showed up to Al Lopez Parkdespite horrendous traffic at nearby Raymond James Stadium due to the USF Bulls football game at noon.

Special thanks - and great admiration - to Linda Hamilton, executive director of the coalition and its low-cost spay/neuter clinic, who works tirelessly towards making Hillsborough County a humane community, one in which no companion animals are euthanized because they have no home.

ACT employees and volunteers went far above and beyond the call of duty to help at Stride. They arrived at the park as early as 3 a.m. to set up tables, get food ready to sell, made coffee and staffed the registration table.

I'd been to the event in years' past as a guest. But now that I'm working with the coalition I learned first-hand this year that the event is a lot of work, but a lot of fun, as well.