07/08/2026
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our 4th of July Holiday Trial Volunteers & Judges!
The 2026 4th of July Holiday weekend brought together a wonderful community of competitors, volunteers, and judges for an incredibly successful Del Monte Kennel Club Scent Work Trials.
An event like this doesn't just happen—it takes an incredible crew of dedicated people working tirelessly before, during, and after the trials. DMKC is deeply appreciative of our members and community who so generously donate their time, energy, and talent to make these events a reality.
✨ Outstanding Leadership & Support
Pam Durkee: Responsible for an immense amount of organization both before and during the trial. Pam is always the first to arrive and the last to leave—we truly couldn't do this without her!
Tim Fayram: A massive thank you to Tim, who arrived at 2:00 PM and stayed to help clean up until the very end. Having that extra hands-on help makes a world of difference to Jim’s and my morale.
Our Setup & Cleanup Crews: To everyone who showed up on Thursday afternoon to help us set up, and to everyone who stayed late to pack up—your hard work behind the scenes made a massive difference. Thank you for keeping our spirits high!
❤️ Heartfelt Thanks to Our Dedicated Volunteers
We are so grateful to this amazing team who stepped up to handle vital roles throughout the weekend:
Betsy Vobach – Handled two full days of managing the run order alongside Pam.
James Mattson – Thank you for your wonderful support and hard work.
Reggie Steres (EMT) – Shopped for and organized hospitality, while also securing hotel reservations for our judges.
Cathy Francini – Shopped for and organized hospitality, coordinated our volunteer schedules, and supervised ribbon distribution.
Lesley Hunter– Did a fantastic job setting up the Buried search elements.
Suzi Bluford – Managed all-important judge supplies and served as our odor steward managing the practice boxes.
Tom Craig– Captured the weekend beautifully as our event photographer.
Carol White & Bill Heald – Kept the event moving swiftly as our fantastic score runners.
Our Wonderful Hospitality Volunteers-Thank you for keeping us fed, caffeinated, and cared for!
Cheryl Smith & Che Rivera**
Peggy Perkins, and Jan White (EMT) – Thank you for keeping us safe and treating us to delicious, homemade breakfast food!
📋 Our Incredible Judge Stewards
The backbone of our rings! Thank you to this stellar crew for keeping the trials running smoothly and efficiently:| • Julie Craig, Bill Heald, Raija Daleo, Laurie Burnham, Tammy Bogard, Mary Pezzini, Joanna Chiu, Ernest Lee, Yvonne Torrez (EMT), Pat Grant
📝 A Special Secretary & Score Room Shout-Out
A massive, standing ovation goes to our amazing trial secretary, Teresa Locatelli. All year long, Teresa volunteers her time to organize entries, manage payments, and solve complex issues. During the two-day event, she worked around the clock to keep the scoring up to date, wrapping it all up by flawlessly completing the official AKC documentation.
We also extend our sincere thanks to Dipti Kureshi for her invaluable support as the Score Room Lead to Teresa. You two are a powerhouse team!
👩⚖️ With Deep Appreciation to Our Judges
DMKC is incredibly grateful to our judges who shared their expertise, time, and insights with us this weekend. Thank you for your fairness, your positivity, and your dedication to the sport:
Lisa Kretner
Suzanne LeRoy
Susie Abel
Jill Kessler-Miller
To top it all off, Mother Nature smiled on us with the most beautiful weather we could have asked for. Thank you all for your hard work, your passion, and for making this weekend such an unforgettable success! 🐾❤️
