Halloween candy, costume contests, and cocktails are a pretty solid combination. Add a fundraiser for dogs in need, and you’ve got a good reason to get out of the house this spooky season.
Stop the Suffering Animal Rescue of Ohio is hosting Spooky Spirits & S’mores on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Campfire Brewing in Westerville. The 21-and-over Halloween party runs from 6-9 p.m., with tickets costing $50 per person.
The event will feature 15 adult trick-or-treat stations with full-size candy, a scavenger hunt, live music from Gravity’s Pull, a tarot card reader, and a costume contest with $600 in cash prizes. There will also be a raffle featuring more than $1,200 in prizes from local businesses. One raffle ticket is included with admission, with additional tickets available for purchase.
The scavenger hunt runs from 6-8 p.m. and offers $450 in cash prizes. The costume contest starts at 8 p.m., with three $200 prizes up for grabs for Best Overall, Best Duo or Group, and People’s Choice.
Craft cocktails, beer, Antonio’s Pizza, and fire-pit s’mores will also be available for purchase throughout the evening.
All proceeds from Spooky Spirits & S’mores will go toward helping Stop the Suffering rescue and care for vulnerable dogs.
The Columbus-based nonprofit works with overcrowded rural shelters across Ohio, northern Kentucky, and West Virginia, transporting animals to foster homes and partner rescues where they have a better chance of finding permanent families.
The need for that work is significant. In 2025, Stop the Suffering transported more than 3,700 animals and provided medical care to more than 2,200 shelter pets. The organization also placed more than 350 dogs in adoptive homes.
Medical expenses can add up quickly, particularly for older dogs and animals with serious health issues. According to Leslie Walker, the organization’s medical director and a board member, caring for a senior dog averages more than $1,000, while specialty hospital care averages more than $3,000 per dog.
“Every ticket helps us say yes to another dog sitting in a crowded rural shelter,” Walker said.
The rescue also works to address pet overpopulation before animals end up in shelters. Its Haley’s Comet of Change fund sponsored more than 300 community spay and neuter procedures in 2025.
The program was created in memory of Haley, a dog who came to the organization as a foster and was later adopted by board member Ruthanne Hanlon after learning she was terminally ill. Haley’s cancer could have been prevented through spaying, inspiring the organization to expand its prevention efforts.
“We will never get ahead with rescue until fewer unwanted litters are born,” Hanlon said.
Spooky Spirits & S’mores takes place Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6-9 p.m. at Campfire Brewing, located at 6300 Frost Road in Westerville.
Tickets cost $50 per person, and organizers say only 300 are available. The event is for adults 21 and older. Although the fundraiser benefits dogs, attendees should leave their own pets at home because of the crowd and noise.
Parking is limited, so carpooling or using a rideshare service is encouraged. The event will take place rain or shine.
Tickets are available at the official event ticket page. For more information about Stop the Suffering’s rescue work and ways to help animals in need, visit stopthesuffering.org.
