When the rain and wind arrived at Snoqualmie Elementary School Saturday, a few people and dogs huddled under blankets. Most, though, were too busy playing with their dogs, eating, shopping the bake sale, or socializing with other dogs and their owners, to really notice the Northwest winter weather.

Betsy Carroll and Sprout were playing catch with a high-bouncing tennis ball when Carroll, a Key Club member, was reminded it was time to start packing up from the day’s events.

Her club, led by advisor Joe Dockery, had by then completed their first-ever Bark for Life event, a fundraiser for their team in the July 2016 Relay for Life event in North Bend.

It wouldn’t be their last, said Sarah Green, Key Club member and the club’s Relay team captain.

“We will do it again… all of the club members were involved in making this happen.”

A few potential participants may have stayed away from the event because of the rainy weather, Key Club member Noah Hance allowed, but the club still exceeded its goals for the day.

“There was a good amount of dogs,” said Green, and the club raised $1,600 through all of the activities.

At least 75 individuals were involved, said Niki Haukap, the American Cancer Society community event manager for the Snoqualmie Valley area. “The kids were expecting 30.”

Combine the strong turnout with the community support, and Green called the event a “huge success for our club and Relay for Life team!”

“Everything that we had at the event was donated to us so we didn’t have to pay for anything either,” Green noted. Sponsors included Civilized Nature Pet Supplies, Hobbytown USA, Riverdog, Carmichaels True Value, MudBay, North Bend Bar and Grill, Snoqualmie Ridge Vet Hospital, Baxter Barn and Snoqualmie Brewery.

Participating dogs all received their own purple Relay for Life bandanas, and some also competed in a doggie costume contest. Their owners had opportunities to bid on gift baskets and other auction items, listen to local musicians and warm up with some hot food.

Relay for Life Snoqualmie Valley 2016 is scheduled for July 9 at Torguson Park.

Find out more about Mount Si High School’s Key Club at http://mshskeyclub.weebly.com.

Learn more about Snoqualmie Valley Relay for Life at www.relayforlife.org.

Joe Dockery, standing, pauses for a family photo with his mother, Shirley Patterson, left, and sister, Janet Dockery. Both women are cancer survivors and, Dockery says, one of the reasons he is so passionate about fighting cancer.

People and dogs huddled in blankets to enjoy live music at the Bark for Life event Saturday.

At the event’s end, Key Club members gleefully burst the purple balloons on the arch marking the entrance to Bark for Life Saturday.

Bunny ears make a complete costume for a small white dog at Saturday’s Bark for Life event.

Angel Schattler gets a kiss from her dog Tiffany.

Dogs and humans faced wind and rain to walk the “relay” portion of Bark for Life, a lap or two around the school’s bus loop and into the adjacent Centennial Field Park, Saturday.