Frank Remesch, OHS Grad, Helps Homeless Animals

On August 26, Frank Remesch, a 1985 Overlea Senior High graduate and current Jarrettsville resident, walked a red carpet with rescue dog Rebel as part of Pawject Runway. The show was a fundraising effort to benefit BARCS, Baltimore Animal Rescue Center Shelter, Inc.’s, specifically the  Franky Fund which funds medical care for rescued animals.

Remesch, along with other members of the Show Your Soft Side Campaign, a popular campaign in Baltimore that features famous people, mainly athletes, with their animals, took part in the Pawject Runway Event.  So, the faces many people have seen on the billboard, including Torrey Smith of the Ravens, came down the runway with a dog or cat leading the way.

The Show Your Soft Side campaign speaks to the issue of animal abuse, using the tag line:  “Only a punk would hurt a cat or dog” throughout the billboard.  The Soft Side Campaign joined forces with Professionals for Paws on this year’s event to benefit the Franky Fund.  So, the faces many people have seen on the billboard, including Torrey Smith of the Ravens, came down the runway with a dog or cat leading the way.

Last year, Professionals for Paws presented BARCS with a $18,393 check. The combining of forces brought that amount to over $45,000 this year, according to Melanie Hansen of Paws for Professionals.

Remesch’s Show Your Soft Side billboard can be seen on the side of The Baltimore Arena. He’s flanked by Hank, half Great Dane and half Mastiff and Angus, a full-bred Mastiff. Both dogs passed shortly after the billboard was created. But Remesch knows, despite the personal loss of his animal family, there’s always another who needs his help.

The Rosedale native worked through the ranks at the Baltimore Arena as electrician, part of the changeover crew and assistant general manager, before he took over the top spot as GM in 2004. His first goal and first big coup after he took over was to bring the Rolling Stones to Baltimore in 2006.  

It’s still the top-earning show in the Arena’s history, generating $2.5 million, most of which went to the Stones. It was a calculated move as Remesch knew he’d make little money from the event in the deal.  Instead he parlayed the goodwill and public relations into motivation for other top acts to come to Baltimore.  Since then, he’s brought Bruce Springsteen, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce and Usher to town, among so many others.   Next month, Pearl Jam will play to a sold out crowd. The show sold out within an hour of tickets going on sale.

While most would think the perk of being GM of a premiere entertainment venue would be meeting celebrities.  For Remesch, it’s much more about have a public venue to help causes dear to his heart, specifically animals. During Hurricane Sandy, for example, BARCS needed to evacuate its animals because the shelter sits in a low-lying area, destined to flood out in a storm the magnitude of Sandy.  At Remesch’s request, all of the animals at BARCS were moved to the Baltimore Arena to weather out the storm.

In her personal life, while he rescues Mastiffs, breed—even species—does matter.  A tiny toothless dog showed up on his doorstep at a time when he was full up with Mastiffs. He didn’t quit until he found its owner.

More recently, another billboard showed up at the Baltimore Arena A 6-week-old kitten was hiding in underbelly of a car outside the Arena as Remesch tried to leave work one day.  By the end of it all, a group had taken the car inside to make sure the frightened cat wouldn’t run into the street. Remesch disassembled part of the car to get the kitten, and for a time, it became the Arena mascot.  It had run of the building, including Remesch’s desk and negotiation table, and each night, it would go home with one of the employees.

Eventually one employee wanted to give the Arena kitten a forever home, so Remesch paid for a year’s worth of food and said goodbye to the kitten who started out homeless and unwanted but ended up with 174 moms and dads.

As a side note on Pawject Runway, the night included other fundraising efforts, including a raffle for a Vespa (motorcycle). Remesch’s 74-year-old mother, Claire Remesch, won the raffle and in recognition of her son’s commitment to animal rescue, she donated the bike back to BARCS to raise more money. Claire lives in Baltimore City now, but she was a long-time resident of Rosedale and is recently retired from The Gardenville Moose.

--For information on the Franky Fund, go to www.BaltimoreAnimalShelter.org, and click on the Franky Fund link.