Paws for a Lawn

When Mark Nolot sees a need, he rolls up his sleeves and dives in. As president of Lawnganics, a local trailblazer in organic-based lawn care, Nolot measures everything by the Lawnganics mission: safer, better and healthier for families, kids and pets. While the connection to organic lawn care seems obvious, Nolot has also made it his way of life.

He constantly looks for ways to help the community in keeping with his ‘safer, better, healthier’ philosophy. Twice a year, he identifies specific needs for which he organizes a Lawnganics-sponsored campaign to raise support and awareness. To amplify its effect, he looks for community partners who share a desire to help.

“Everyone has different resources,” says Nolot. “As business leaders, we have to grab onto something outside ourselves.”

The first of this year’s Lawnganics campaigns, organized together with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, is Paws for a Lawn. In line with the Lawnganics mission, this effort benefits Humane Fort Wayne, the city’s only no-kill animal shelter and low-cost veterinary clinic. Nolot’s fundraising goal for Paws for a Lawn is $30,000.

Although Humane Fort Wayne will soon break ground on a new facility funded by a dedicated capital campaign, meeting day-to-day needs has become increasingly difficult. The shelter currently operates well above its physical capacity, straining its resources for the animals it houses as well as its staff. 

In addition, requests for pet food at Humane Fort Wayne’s food bank have never been higher; monthly distributions total upwards of 48,000 pounds. According to Melissa Gibson, community relations manager for Humane Fort Wayne, the elimination of pandemic-based assistance coupled with inflation rates of 18-20% on pet food has driven down donations and increased need.

“In the post-pandemic atmosphere, intakes are going through the roof,” says Gibson. “We’re working hard to do whatever it takes to keep your pet at home where it is loved. We never want someone to have to choose between feeding their dog and keeping the lights on.”

Paws for a Lawn, named for helping shelter animals get the green-space they desperately need, kicks off with a pet-themed baseball game on Tuesday, June 13. The event will feature adoptable animals from Humane Fort Wayne, take-home treats for pets and special giveaway items. Fans are invited to show support by making donations, either through on-site collection buckets or a special QR code.

Nolot and Jenn Sylvester, TinCaps corporate account manager, have been working to draw more corporate partners into the Paws for a Lawn campaign. Besides recognition, corporate partners have the opportunity to include promotional items in Humane Fort Wayne’s adoption take-home bags, which reach roughly 2,200 families per year.

For individuals who may not be able to donate money, pet food or other resources, Gibson offers several suggestions. If someone is already planning to go to a TinCaps game or other local event, they should consider attending on a designated support day when a portion of sales is donated to the cause. Sharing posts on social media that offer a per-like or per-share donation is another way to help. Directing business to vendors who support the person’s preferred causes makes sense, too. The more successful that business becomes, the more support it can give to the cause, with no extra effort put forth by the individual.

“There are ways to help that don’t involve doing something outside of what you would normally do,” says Gibson. “Know your vendors and support those who are aligned with you. Hitting a ‘like’ button costs nothing.”

That is exactly why Nolot decided to organize the Paws for a Lawn campaign together with the TinCaps. Nolot saw Humane Fort Wayne’s need, recognized that it fell in line with the Lawnganics mission for better, safer and healthier pets, and sprang into action. 

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