The Business Council of Greater Montgomery presented a $2,700 check to the Humane Society of Walden on Aug. 9.

Marissa Owens, the humane society shelter manager, noted that the money will go toward spaying and neutering approximately 35-40 animals. This will help put a dent in the feral cat problem that has been an issue in the area.

The money was raised by the organization’s Dine for Dollars event. July’s Dine for Dollars event hosted a Town of Montgomery restaurant each day of the month. Customers who ordered from the restaurant of the day had 10 percent of their bill donated to the Humane Society of Walden. Some of the restaurants that were featured included Richard’s Dairy Shed, The Main Line Diner and Johnny’s Pizzeria. The business council previously hosted the event in February, which raised $4,300 for the Town of Montgomery Food Pantry.

Randi Picarello, executive director of the business council, is thankful for the support the Dine for Dollars event received.
“Thank you all for supporting the Business Council of Greater Montgomery’s biannual Dine for Dollars,” she said. “This initiative started during COVID to introduce new customers to our local eateries. We adopted a very long-standing program to benefit our diners’ experiences, boost our eateries’ business for the two historically slowest months of the restaurant year and support a charitable organization that directly benefits the greater Montgomery area.”

Picarello added that it was an easy decision to make the Humane Society of Walden the July beneficiary for Dine for Dollars.

“Our July beneficiary, the Humane Society of Walden, holds a very special place in many of our local residents’ hearts, so it was an obvious choice,” she said. “The humane society’s operated as a no-kill facility for over nine years. They’ve been open for over 40 years here and they’ve saved, placed and rehomed over 7,500 animals since 2012.”

Montgomery Town Supervisor Brian Maher spoke highly of Dine for Dollars.

“It has been a tremendous success...,” he said. “Our community here in the greater Montgomery area responded once again.”

Harry Toromanides, owner of The Main Line Diner and Johnny’s Pizzeria, is thankful for all the work the business council has done.

“The Business Council of Greater Montgomery has found lots of innovative ways to make a difference,” he said.