Dogs Night Out is always a spectacular night to remember. We have great food, awesome prizes and lots of fun! Derek Wills our play-by-play announcer and Al Craig our colour commentator have been our MCs for many years and have entertained us throughout the evening with their creative barbs and commentaries. The venue for this event for the past six years has been the old train station in downtown Hamilton that has been renovated into a beautiful banquet centre called Liuna Station. It’s a great venue for a great social event.

There is always a raffle and a 50/50 draw and at the end of the evening someone at each table goes home with the centerpiece, and it’s not your usual flower arrangement. We have had all kinds of unusual items including cute bulldogs, hockey skates and ornaments etc. that are autographed by our Bulldogs hockey players.

Dogs Night Out Centerpieces

During cocktails the Bulldogs players willingly participate by posing for pictures and signing autographs. One or two players also join each table of guests during dinner. What a great way to get to know your Bulldogs!

Dogs Night Out is a family event, so our members’ children are welcome to attend with the purchase of a regular priced ticket.

We have had some interesting entertainment too from Karaoke, trivia to a murder mystery.

In 2007 we planned our first murder mystery called the “St. Valentine’s Day Melée”. However on that night we had a blizzard. Most people would have stayed home but not the world’s greatest hockey fans. Nothing could keep them from spending a night with their favourite Dogs. However it got so bad we had to cancel the play and call it an early night so that everyone could get home safely before the four feet of snow arrived.

So in 2008 we planned another wonderful evening of murder and mystery. The St. Valentine’s Day Melée was revived and members were subjected to murder and mystique. Detectives R. U. Dents (Derek Wills) and his associate I. M. Whittier (Al Craig) along with a cast of murder suspects were present to unravel the mystery. Guests were asked to join in on the sleuthing and determine the circumstances of who got fatally checked. We had some very good sleuths and creative solutions on who-done-it?

Plans are already underway for 2009 and it will be something new and spectacular!

We encourage every Growl Booster Club member to come out to the “Annual Dogs Night Out” dinner and social. It’s a fun night where you can meet and socialize with other members, eat some great food, meet some great players, and win some great prizes! It seems that those who attend DNO always have a great time. Hmm another reason to join the GROWL.

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Photos supplied Courtesy of Art Ward and other GROWL members.
For more info on Art Ward's work please see his website A Work of Art.