Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Allen.
Hi Brad, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have a great love for both golf and dogs. My wife and I have 4 rescue dogs and give when we can to organizations around the Dallas area. One day, while playing golf with my brother, we were on a hole waiting to tee off and there was a cute pup in a backyard that we were all petting. I said to my brother “there should be a dog on every hole!”. Immediately, the idea for Putts FORE! Mutts was born. Why not take two of the things I love, and create a way to raise money for the dog rescue organizations we support! After two years (thanks Covid) we were able to host our first Putts FORE! Mutts tournament this past April. We raised $6,000 for local rescues DFW Furgotten Friends and Dallas Pets Alive! For our tournament in 2022, we have also added one more local rescue, Pooch Savers, and also the organization, Puppies, and Golf who has more of a national reach. We truly expect to double, if not more than double, our fundraising from this very successful first year!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part, things have gone pretty smoothly. One of the biggest obstacles was clearly Covid and the lockdown. Our first tournament was scheduled for April of 2020, and we had to reschedule twice to move it to April of 2021. With that, it was a little bit of a struggle finding sponsors for the event. One, because of Covid, but also because this is a new event and our reach is just now starting to grow. I feel though, that we can make this the best dog-related golf fundraiser in the Dallas area!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a massage therapist by trade and have been practicing for 17 years now. Starting this tournament and the fundraising that came along with it was very new to me. I’m still learning every day and trying do everything I can to make this event successful every year. I’m think I surprised myself with how well we didn’t with our first tournament. We sold out our event, even had to open extra spots, and were able to raise a good amount of funds for some awesome pups!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
At the moment, I am in the process of make Putts FORE! Mutts a business, with the goal of making it a 501c3 nonprofit. Right now, we do all of our work as volunteer work, but we would love to start a company that benefits local dog rescues. The plan is to sell golf attire, dog toys, and accessories in the near future.
Pricing:
- We have a limited edition Putts FORE! Mutts trucker hats for sale for $30. All proceeds go toward our fundraising goal of next year’s event!
Contact Info:
- Email: puttsforemuttsdfw@gmail.com
- Website: https://linktr.ee/PuttsFOREMutts
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/puttsforemutts?utm_medium=copy_link
Image Credits:
Ryan Lochhead
Jason Hernandez
