Mark Schenk has been involved with SICSA’s Lift Your Leg Event since it was created. We recently sat down with Mark to ask him some burning questions about Lift Your Leg, which is less than one month away!
Why is Lift Your Leg important to you? Lift Your Leg is so important to me for a number of reasons. I have served in various capacities within the organization as past President of the Board and various other Board committees and Chair positions, but I really wanted to contribute in a different way. So, nine years ago, Nora Vondrell and I got together and I shared with her that I wanted to see if she’d have an interest in a new fundraising event for a charity 5k and 10k run. It was a way to combine my love and passion for running and animals. She suggested that we incorporate the long standing Walk For Strays event into one event. I was hesitant at first but decided to give it a try and since then, I have been the Chair for the Lift Your Leg event ever since. We’ve grown the new event from initially a couple hundred participants to well over 1,000 as of last year. It’s a great event that appeals to so many different segments of people who share that same love of animals as I do. One of my favorite things about the event is the name though. At my initial discussion with Nora, we were brainstorming what the event logo should be and a dog, fire hydrant, and the lift your leg 
catchy name was born. I’m pretty proud of that aspect of our event.
What is your favorite Lift Your Leg memory? I have several favorite memories of the Lift Your Leg event over the years. It’s great having memories of the hard work and accomplishments of so many dedicated committee members. I guess I’d have to say that the sight of the sea of runners and walkers flooding out into the neighborhoods of Centerville walking and running with their dogs, to dogs failing and soaking themselves in the over 15 dog pools at 6 separate water stops along the routes (with many more all over the Vendor Village area), to seeing my wife Candi and our SICSA alum, Rumor, enjoying and participating in a great event for a great organization are all at the top of my memory list.
When I consider how much planning goes into that single day, it’s an incredible day that most importantly raises much needed funds and awareness for our animals who don’t have a voice of their own. It’s humbling to be able to sit back and think that the efforts of our committee can have such an impact. And, while our committee has certainly grown over the years, so too has the event and for that reason, we start planning earlier and are in need of many more volunteers each year. With all of the varied responsibilities and needs that we have, I know there’s a job or skill set that is needed within our committee.
If you are interested in registering for Lift Your Leg, now is the time!