April 25, 2024
La Roche University County Fair Event to Benefit Hope Haven Farm Sanctuary May 1
PITTSBURGH, April 25, 2024 – A county fair-themed event at La Roche University featuring food, games and local professional wrestlers will benefit Hope Haven Farm Sanctuary on Wednesday, May 1.
The fair will run from 3 to 9 p.m. in La Roche’s Zappala Campus Center Square. Tickets are $15 for the general public and free to La Roche students who present student IDs. All proceeds benefit Hope Haven Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit farm animal sanctuary in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.
The event will feature animals, games and a mechanical bull. Craft beer tasting will begin at 3 p.m., followed by free food at 4 p.m. Guests can enter to win raffle baskets featuring Steelers Champion Club tickets, Captain Morgan Club tickets, lottery and a 50/50 raffle. Battle for the Barn with Ryse Pro Wrestling, presented by Stronghold Entertainment, will start at 7 p.m.
Students from La Roche’s Marketing for Nonprofits course organized the event as part of a student philanthropy project.
“I’ve enjoyed having the ability to create and plan a campus-wide event to promote a good cause,” Caroline Maxwell, a senior, said. “During the event I plan to help bring awareness to the organization by showing that the animals are worthy of love and care.”
The class identified a need in Western Pennsylvania that is fulfilled by a small-sized nonprofit organization, and after meeting with several organizations in the community, the class selected Hope Haven as the recipient of its fundraising efforts.
Assistant Professor and Chair of the La Roche Marketing Department Rishi Bahl, Ph.D., said, “The student philanthropy project allows students to apply the theories we learn in class in a meaningful way. It is great to see students in the thick of it, planning events, reaching out to community partners, getting creative in ways to market the event and more.”
Hope Haven’s mission is to rescue neglected pigs, goats, sheep, llamas, donkeys, alpacas, emus and all farm birds that have been surrendered at local animal shelters, confiscated by local human agents and police, or saved from factory farms.
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About La Roche University: A private liberal arts university in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, La Roche University offers 68 undergraduate programs of study, seven master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees, with particular strengths in education, business, criminal justice, psychology, nursing, and health and medical sciences as well as interior architecture & design and graphic design. This residential university provides a vibrant campus community for women and men enjoying 30-plus student organizations and an exciting NCAA Div. III athletics program. Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche University embraces its Catholic heritage while welcoming people of all faiths and backgrounds. With a legacy of social justice and a commitment to international exchange, La Roche University educates students to be lifelong learners and achievers in an increasingly diverse and global society.