LACONIA — On a rainy day more than two decades ago, a group came to Funspot and told Starr Lawton they were doing a gaming triathlon to kill some time. A light bulb went off above her head.
“I immediately thought we should do this same thing, but to help animals,” said Lawton, who not only created the event, but is also a board member for Fund4Paws and tavern manager at Funspot. “We all love animals, and this is a really goofy, fun event for a great cause.”
Funds4Paws is holding the 21st annual Saving Animals Triathlon on Saturday, March 21, where about 40 teams of four participants each will compete in a series of indoor games like candlepin bowling, indoor mini golf, darts, pinball and skee-ball. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $600,000.
Lawton’s cousin, Steve Lawton, came up with a scoring system, and teams will raise pledge money that will be turned into points.
“So even if you do horrible in the events, you can still win,” she said.
There is also a prize for “DFL,” which means “definitely finished last.”
Participants often dress in costume and create wacky names for their teams, and prizes will be awarded for best dressed and top team name.
Lawton said team members get pledges from friends, co-workers and community members which are tracked online, and additional money is raised through a 50/50 raffle and a prize raffle. This year there is an e-bike being raffled off, donated by Naults Powersports.
She added that Mix 94.1 also has a pledge prize. Every $500 raised earns an entry into a raffle, with a grand prize of a five-day Caribbean cruise for two.
Funspot was originally started by Bob Lawton in 1952, and members of the family continue to run it to this day, including Starr, his granddaughter.
Funds4Paws became the fundraising arm of the event in 2019. While Funds4Paws has held other fundraisers over the years, this is always the top one.
All funds raised from the event go directly to helping local animal shelters, and support trap-neuter-release mobile operations to target cat overpopulation issues.
For the first 14 years of the event, money was raised for the New Hampshire Humane Society, and is now distributed to selected animal-serving organizations throughout the Granite State.
“We like doing it this way, we can be sure that the money goes directly to helping animals and organizations involved in rescue,” Lawton said.
Thousands of dollars are raised each year, and the 2025 event took in more than $55,000, distributed to six organizations including Live and Let Live Farm Rescue, Friends of Community Cats New Hampshire, Old Dogs Go to Helen, Kilham Bear Center, FuRRR Feline Rescue, and Lakes Region Humane Society.
This year’s beneficiaries include Live and Let Live Farm Rescue and Friends of Community Cats, and there will likely be others chosen, once the fundraiser is completed.
An entry fee for a team of four is $200, and they can fundraise by creating a webpage and sharing it with friends and followers on social channels. On the day of the event, teams can add cash or check donations.
So far, the event has raised more than $16,500. Thirty-five teams have signed up, and while they usually cap the event at 40 teams, if people show up on the day of the event, they will not be turned away.
Lawton knows money is tight, with increased costs for just about everything. She said that makes it even more amazing that people continually get involved in the event, some who have been participating since the beginning. Every dollar counts, and if they can raise as much as last year, she’ll be pleased.
“If we can reach last year’s amount or go over that, we would be happy, especially with everything so expensive these days,” Lawton said.
Registration is at 9 a.m. for the triathlon. To get involved, visit funds4paws.org/triathlon.