🎨 The Art of Rescue: Badass Bash 2025
The Art of Rescue: Badass Bash 2025 is Badass Animal Rescue’s 9th annual fundraising gala: an evening of celebration, storytelling, and community built around one mission: to save more at-risk dogs and give them the futures they deserve.
This year’s Bash will take place on Thursday, October 2nd, 2025 at the iconic Prospect Park Boathouse in Brooklyn. The event will bring together adopters, fosters, donors, and dog lovers for a night of specialty cocktails, delicious bites, a curated raffle and auction, and heartfelt moments that reflect the impact of rescue.
The 2025 theme, The Art of Rescue, will spotlight the creativity, emotion, and compassion that drives our work. From powerful photography to deeply personal storytelling, we’ll explore how art and rescue intersect to change lives.
We’re honored to welcome Brad Goreski as our Honorary Host and Winnie Au as our Keynote Speaker. Their voices, creativity, and advocacy help amplify the mission at the heart of this event; and remind us that rescue is not just an action, it’s an art. We are also proud to honor Jen Hillenga of The Ways of The Dog as our Luis C. Turco Award Recipient, in recognition of her powerful photography and unwavering dedication to helping rescue dogs shine (the photos of our rescue dogs at the Prospect Park Boathouse in our Bash promotional campaign were taken by Jen!)
Your ticket directly supports our mission to save at-risk dogs and give them the future they deserve.
🤝 Want to sponsor the Badass Bash? Whether you’d like to be a presenting sponsor or contribute to the raffle & auction, we’d be grateful for whatever you can give. Scroll down to learn more.
Meet Our Special Guests
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Brad Goreski
HONORARY HOST
Brad Goreski is a celebrity stylist, TV personality, and longtime dog dad with a passion for rescue. He is the stylist to stars such as Demi Moore, Kaley Cuoco, and Rashida Jones, and has appeared on hit shows like Fashion Police, The Rachel Zoe Project, and Canada’s Drag Race. Beyond fashion, Brad is known for his joyful personality, sharp wit, and deep love for dogs — often seen doting on his rescue chihuahua, Theo. We’re thrilled to welcome him as our Honorary Host for this year’s Bash!
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Winnie Au
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Winnie Au is a Brooklyn-based photographer, author, and passionate advocate for rescue dogs. She is the creator of Cone of Shame, a portrait series of dogs in artful cones, now published as a coffee table book. The project has been exhibited internationally at Fotografiska museums in New York, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Tallinn, and a portion of its proceeds supports medical care for rescue dogs in need.
Winnie is also the co-author of Dog-Friendly New York and Dog-Friendly London, guidebooks that celebrate the deep bond between dogs and the cities they live in. Her commercial and editorial work spans clients from American Express and Coca-Cola to The New York Times and Elle Decor.
Winnie lives in Brooklyn with her family and their beloved basset hound, Clementine.
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Jen Hillenga
LUIS C. TURCO AWARD RECIPIENT
Jen has been a world-renowned portrait photographer, designer, and photography educator for over 25 years. Through rescuing her two pups, Rocco and Nala, she discovered a deep passion for connecting with dogs and capturing their unique personalities through her lens.
In 2021, Jen founded The Ways of the Dog, leaving her corporate creative director role to return to her first love—photography—with a focus exclusively on dogs and their humans. Since then, she has photographed countless rescue dogs from a wide range of organizations, including multiple Badasses who have since found their forever homes. Her work brings dignity, soul, and storytelling to each dog she photographs, helping them shine and connect with potential adopters in powerful, lasting ways.
Join The Badass Bash Committee
Join The Badass Bash Committee
As a Bash Benefit Committee Member, we ask that you purchase a pair of tickets to the event, lend your name to the invitation, and commit to inviting your family, friends and colleagues to join us to make this the most Badass fundraiser yet! The Bash Benefit Committee Member with the highest total dollar amount of pre-Bash donations and ticket sales, will win a fabulous prize!
There are 3 levels of committee members. Learn more:
Angela Schmitt
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Alison Gans
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Ron Gaskill
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Morgan Rodd
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Nellie Kurtzman
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Frank Samperi
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Candace Brown
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Carolyn Jimenez
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Nicole Pinto
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Lisa Goldschmidt
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Sara Cross
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Stacey Gilles
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Amy Onderdonk
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Maria Rosati
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Amanda Perrucci
Angela Schmitt 〰️ Alison Gans 〰️ Ron Gaskill 〰️ Morgan Rodd 〰️ Nellie Kurtzman 〰️ Frank Samperi 〰️ Candace Brown 〰️ Carolyn Jimenez 〰️ Nicole Pinto 〰️ Lisa Goldschmidt 〰️ Sara Cross 〰️ Stacey Gilles 〰️ Amy Onderdonk 〰️ Maria Rosati 〰️ Amanda Perrucci
Badass relies on the generosity of sponsors and donors to sustain our rescue work. The average cost of saving a Badass dog is $750, which is $200 more than the adoption fee. As a Bash sponsor, your contribution will help us cover the full cost of saving lives.
Help us make this year’s Bash the best one yet! Interested in learning more?
Sponsor Badass Bash!
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Title Sponsor
$10,000 | 1 Available
■ Listed as Title Sponsor with prominent logo placement on all promotional materials
■ Premium logo placement on step-and-repeat
■ 8 VIP tickets to the Bash
Our VIP Cocktail hour includes adoptable dogs on site for this portion only
■ Listed as a Friend of Badass on our website for one year
■ 4 dedicated social media posts, pre- and post-event
■ On-stage acknowledgement by event chair
■ Title Sponsor recognition within event program and via digital slideshow
■ Opportunity for on-site activation, e.g. Pre-event cocktail party ownership
■ Honorary naming rights of 3 Badass rescue dogs (in 2026)
■ Partnership highlight in Badass monthly newsletter
■ Featured highlight in post event recap email and social post
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Presenting Sponsor
$7,500 | 2 Available
■ Listed as Presenting Sponsor with prominent logo placement on all promotional materials
■ Logo placement on step-and-repeat
■ 6 VIP tickets to the Bash
Our VIP Cocktail hour includes adoptable dogs on site for this portion only
■ Listed as a Friend of Badass on our website for one year
■ 3 dedicated social media posts, pre- and post-event
■ On-stage acknowledgement by event chair
■ Presenting Sponsor recognition within event program and via digital slideshow
■ Opportunity for on-site activation, e.g. Pre-event cocktail party branding
■ Partnership highlight in Badass monthly newsletter
■ Naming rights of 2 Badass rescue dogs (in 2026)
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Supporting Sponsor
$5,000 | 3 Available
■ Listed as Supporting Sponsor with logo placement on all promotional materials (second tier)
■ 4 VIP tickets to the Bash
Our VIP Cocktail hour includes adoptable dogs on site for this portion only
■ Listed as a Friend of Badass on our website for one year
■ 2 dedicated social media posts, pre- and post-event
■ On-stage acknowledgement by event chair
■ Supporting Sponsor recognition within event program and via digital slideshow
■ Option for on-site branding (e.g. signature drink, signage at check-in, or donation match callout)
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Sponsor
$2,500 | 4 Available
■ Listed as Sponsor on all promotional materials
■ 4 VIP tickets to the Bash
Our VIP Cocktail hour includes adoptable dogs on site for this portion only
■ 1 dedicated social media post, pre- OR post-event
■ On-stage acknowledgement by event chair
■ Sponsor recognition via digital slideshow
■ Listed as a Friend of Badass on our website for one year
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 BASH SPONSORS!
