Tucson is rolling out the red carpet for our four-legged pooches at the inaugural “Fur Ball” on Saturday, Oct. 18. 

No, your golden doodle is not invited, but his human can come for the Scarritt Foundation’s culinary bash, featuring Michelin-star chefs cooking a multicourse dinner paired with award-winning wines from Robert Mondavi and signature cocktails crafted by renowned mixologist, Charles Joly, in the stunning setting of La Paloma Resort.

It’s a way for the foundation, which focuses on helping pets and pet owners through hard times, to introduce itself.

The foundation was launched in Tucson last year by the team behind Scarritt Group, a company that specializes in medical clinical trial logistics.

The nonprofit supports three main causes: pets of the unhoused, those from families with financial hardships and local rescues that rehabilitate and rehome animals.

Scarritt Group CEO and founder Adrienne Williams, said the Fur Ball will not only raise funds for the foundation’s efforts, but also spread awareness of the organization’s long-term mission of helping animals on a large scale.

“Obviously, we want to do the fundraising to help animals in need,” Williams said. “But it’s also to gain brand recognition in the community, to show people there is a vehicle out there that is sustainable beyond me.”

Williams grew up in Sedona, where her parents were artists and went on to attend NAU before beginning a career in hospitality.

Drawing on her experience in event coordination and management, she started Scarritt Group 26 years ago in Tucson to help pharmaceutical and clinical trial companies with logistics.

The driving force behind the company’s mission is deeply personal. Williams’ father, who lived with Parkinson’s disease, participated in a clinical trial that extended his life by nearly a decade.

Williams started Scarritt Group out of her Tucson home with about 15 employees.

“At one point the city had to kick me out,” Williams said, laughing. “There were 10 cars parked all along the neighborhood.”

Decades later, during a workshop with Chief, a national network for female executives, she was asked to reflect on her childhood dreams. Williams recalled her childhood in Arizona and how rescuing a stray cat with her brother sparked her love for animals.

That memory inspired her to start the foundation. She realized she had the resources and experience to rescue more than just a stray animal.

Williams modeled the Scarritt Foundation after Angel Charity for Children, a longtime Tucson nonprofit that focuses on making children’s lives better.

“I wanted something that would have a big impact and be sustainable,” Williams said.

Much of the foundation’s early funding has come from Williams, but she mentioned community members have been quick to donate money and time.

“The response has been incredible,” Williams said. “So many people have come forward asking how they can help.”

In September, the foundation partnered with volunteers, veterinarians and University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine students to provide free pet care at Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, helping over 125 people and their pets. Services included vaccinations and spay and neuter procedures.

Students also volunteer with the foundation’s monthly PUP mobile clinic.

“Our PUP outreach would not be possible without the students’ support,” Williams said.

Scarritt also recently awarded a grant to the Tucson Independent Veterinary Alliance, which agreed to perform lifesaving procedures at reduced costs for pet owners in financial hardship.

Williams’s foundation is about more than raising money, she added.

“Animals don’t have a voice, so it’s really important that we advocate for them,” she said. “By helping pets, we’re also helping people, because for many, their pet is their only source of emotional support.”

In addition to Michelin chefs from around the country, the Oct. 18, Fur Ball will feature Tucson chefs and La Paloma’s culinary team. Williams said the idea was to create a signature culinary attraction for the city, building on members of the Scarritt Group board who come from a background in the food and beverage industry.

“We wanted to make it an attraction, not just another event where the food is forgettable,” Williams said.

General admission tickets for Fur Ball are available for purchase starting at $450 per person. The event will be held at 3800 E Sunrise Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718, starting at 5:30 p.m. Attendees also have the option to donate to the foundation.

Tickets and volunteer information are available at https://www.scarrittfoundation.org/.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.