DAVENPORT – The latest tribute to the late Matt Moody takes place tonight, when “Drag for Dogs” helps benefit not only the Humane Society of Scott County, but also Moody’s family.
Featuring 10 drag performers and their pups, the third annual event has already sold more tickets than last year, with more still available, at the CASI Celebration Hall. The event used to be at the Village Theatre, the nonprofit performance venue that Moody managed before passing away unexpectedly June 30.
Matt Moody, the former Village Theatre manager who passed away unexpectedly June 30, smiles with dog Chewie.
“We just want to honor the work Matt’s done for the Humane Society in the last few years,” says Erika Gunn, communications director for the Humane Society, who also said the nonprofit wants to provide “any support for the Moody family that’s needed at this very difficult time. Losing a family member unexpectedly is an extremely difficult thing.”
Mandy Moody, Matt’s wife for 18 years, said she’s looking forward to tonight’s event and has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for her husband since he passed away in his sleep, likely as a result of the heart condition he’d been diagnosed with earlier this year as a result of misdiagnosed and untreated pneumonia. She recalled how when the two first merged their families 18 years ago, she had three cats and he had four, in addition to five children between them.
Chewie, the Moodys’ dog, came along a few years later, helping Mandy overcome a fear of dogs she’d had since she was bit by a neighbor’s dog as a child. He was among the dogs who “walked the catwalk” during Drag for Dogs’ first year, Mandy remembered. “One of the things Matt used to say is, he hoped he passed away before Chewie because he dreaded being without him,” she said.
All four of the Moody family cats today — Smokey, Willow, Oregon and Dinky — were taken in by the family “off the street,” Mandy Moody said.
Matt and Mandy Moody
During the 10 years that Moody volunteered as general manager at the Village Theatre, drag was one of the alternative art forms he championed, along with burlesque. Moody also created opportunities for stand-up comedians and live musicians, Mandy said. He also acted in indie films and local theater, though had begun to focus later in his life on helping behind-the-scenes, rather than on stage.
“There wasn’t a part of the arts that he didn’t dabble in, in some way,” she said.
He worked full-time at HNI Corporation in Muscatine to support the family; Mandy Moody works as a social worker and also is a candidate for Iowa House District 96. She said adjusting to his passing has been a financial challenge in addition to an emotional trauma, with gestures like “Drag for Dogs” providing salve for both struggles.
The event was originally created by Celina Rippel, the Humane Society’s former communications director, said Gunn. When Rippel approached Matt about the idea, he “rolled with it,” Gunn said, helping to connect with the performers and marketing the event through the Village Theatre. He also helped with Titties for Kitties, another Humane Society fundraiser that happens later in the year.
Performers to be featured include Britney Queersin; Stinger Wright-Sin; Phoenix Chase Painter; Nik El; Luca Moon; Logan Flynn Monroe; and Ava J ShareAlike.
Among the 10 Performers at tonight’s “Drag for Dogs” are Luca Moon and Brittany Queersin.
“Drag for Dogs” and other fundraising events are more important to the shelter than ever, Gunn said, as the Humane Society of Scott County and “every shelter in the nation” is at full capacity and struggling to keep up with changing and growing animal care needs.
Animals entering shelters nationwide are outpacing adoptions; according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, about 6.5 million animals enter shelters nationwide each year, and about 3.2 million are adopted (The Zebra).
In May, the Scott County shelter was so overwhelmed with dogs, it put out a desperate Facebook plea for the community that generated 3,700 reactions and led to the adoption of more than two dozen dogs in just a few days, wrote The Des Moines Register.
“Anybody that follows shelters anywhere sees how full everybody says they are, and we’re in the same boat,” Gunn said. “We are getting more stray animals than we are finding homes for. While we find them homes, it seems to be taking longer. We’re feeling the hard task of trying to make room and space where we don’t really have room.”
Tickets to “Drag for Dogs” are $20 and still available here, though limited. Donations to the Humane Society of Scott County are also welcome here. Gunn said the humane society also is seeking foster families; sign up here.
