I love my Smooth Jazz, but I truly am a sucker for dogs.  That’s why I’d like to invite you to join me at an event that’s an incredible amount of fun for a worthwhile cause:  Bark in the Park, the Anti-Cruelty Society’s annual walk for the animals.  The money we raise will benefit ACS’s programs of caring for dogs and cats.

This year’s event will take place at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 1, at Montrose Harbor.  Last year’s Bark drew nearly 3,500 two-legged participants, most of whom did the 5K walk with their four-legged family members.

Joining me at Bark will be ABC-7’s Hosea Sanders and Roz Varon and longtime Chicago radio traffic voice Bart Shore.  For those of you who might be wondering about him, our beloved bulldog Mike will not be part of the festivities this year, however.   He’s no longer the rambunctious pup who had the boundless energy and exuberance (and pain-free hips) to do the walk with my wife and me a few years ago.  He’ll be there in spirit but otherwise contentedly napping in his dog bed at home that Saturday morning.

New to the event this year is a formal attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records ® Largest Simultaneous Dog Stay record.  If we can get 628 dogs to sit and stay for two minutes, we’ll set a new mark.  Hey, it’s worth trying!

For more information, please go to www.BarkInThePark.org.  And, on May 1, look for me in the Hospitality area.  I’ll be there leading the event’s best volunteer crew and dispensing human treats to those who finish the walk.