Lynchburg, VA - With just five days left for you to vote, local supporters aren't letting any of that time go to waste. They've taken their signs to street corners and submitted votes online. And now, organizers have another challenge for their supporters.
Dog lovers in Lynchburg took a break from their hard work to attend a final rally at Riverfront Festival Park. They munched on hot dogs and discussed strategy.
"I painted my car," said Debbie McCarthy who brought her Goldendoodle named Ruby.
"I'm wearing my sign today," said Connie Blackwell, Ryleigh's mom, a Coonhound mix.
With just 15 cities still in the running for PetSafe's $100,000 Bark for Your Park Video Competition, the call to vote for Lynchburg is getting louder.
"We're calling it the Challenge of the Fives," said Lynchburg Park Manager, Andy Reeder. "And that is for everyone to find five new voters."
Huntington, West Virginia and Lynchburg were head to head until voting went blind.
"The fact that we're neck and neck with the other city, it gives us something to shoot for," Debbie McCarthy said.
Win or lose - city leaders say they've gained something even greater.
"A hundred thousand dollars is a huge amount of money, but the sense of community that I'm seeing, here is a priceless gift," said Mayor Joan Foster.
Still, even the Mayor admits, the next five days will be vital to give Lynchburg's four legged friends the dog park they've been waiting for, for a long time.
"I know that we love our dogs in this community but I didn't realize truly how much," she said.
You can vote twice a day on Bark For Your Park's website and on its facebook page. Voting ends midnight on August 3rd.
