Mutt Madness Brings Community Together in Support of Providence Animal Center

Blending March Madness excitement with a shared commitment to service, the Community Service Corps' annual Mutt Madness bracket competition returned this spring for its ninth year, raising $450 for the Providence Animal Center.

With a $10 donation, Upper School students, faculty, and friends received a bracket to predict the outcomes of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The event once again combined friendly competition with meaningful impact, supporting Providence Animal Center's mission of rescue, care, and adoption.

This year's Community Service Corps fundraiser was led by co-chairs Lilly Smolenski '27, Arjun Kulkarni '27, and Michael Venneri '27, who organized, promoted, and ran the event during a busy time of year.

"I think the fundraiser went very well," Lilly said. "Despite not having our phones for the convenience of Venmo, many people were more than willing to bring cash or to grab their phones from the phone slots for a few minutes. I also felt like our board did a good job of advertising the event beforehand with flyers, so many members of the community were aware it was going on and eager to participate."

A highlight of the event was the visit from Providence Animal Center puppies on March 12, which brought the fundraiser's mission to life. "The dogs really showed everyone the purpose of the fundraiser firsthand, and how donations, however small, could directly impact such cute and innocent animals greatly," Lilly said. Leading up to the visit, students also created fabric dog toys to donate, adding another meaningful layer to the initiative.

Student leaders emphasized the strength of community participation. "I believe that the fundraiser was particularly successful this year, not because of the total money raised, but because of the unprecedented community engagement we were able to achieve," Arjun said. "Every grade at EA was not only buying Mutt Madness brackets, but telling their friends to buy Mutt Madness brackets and talking about Mutt Madness."

Arjun also pointed to the event's design as a key to its success. "Students are incentivized to buy a bracket not only because of the positive impact it creates, but also because everyone loves making brackets and because there are desirable prizes at stake," he said. "Students feel like it's a win-win. They're not only making a positive impact on the community, but getting the chance to win prizes that they actually want."

Community Service Coordinator Amy Brotschul highlighted both the spirit and teamwork behind the event. "Once again, the puppies were the highlight!" she said. "It's a rare event that we get to have some fun competition for a good cause. The members of the Community Service Board did a great job organizing, preparing, promoting, and selling/fundraising, and we are so grateful to everyone who participated."

Lilly said she is involved with the Community Service Board because she thinks it is "really important to give back to the communities that give so much to us. Students at EA have unique opportunities to organize and facilitate many kinds of service projects, and I have always been eager to take part in them."

Arjun echoed that sense of responsibility. "I think it's important to give back to the community around us and make the most of the opportunities we have at EA," he said. "I joined the Community Service Board my freshman year to be part of that mission in the most active way I can."

Congratulations to this year's Mutt Madness winners: Upper School Science Teacher Jenn Jones (1st place), Liam Crowley '27 (2nd), and Ari Roth '26 (3rd).

Looking ahead, the Community Service Corps plans to expand the event by introducing both men's and women's tournament brackets next year.