MARIETTA — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is asking the community to help fill a decorated jug — and to help fund the dogs and horses that work alongside its deputies. The sheriff’s office is participating in the Marietta Community Foundation’s 2026 Change-Makers Challenge, raising money for its K-9 and Mounted Units while competing for a share of $30,000 in additional prize money, the sheriff’s office announced on its site.
Every dollar donated goes directly into the office’s K-9 and Mounted Unit fund, helping support those programs, according to the sheriff’s office. The top five participating nonprofits will share $30,000 in prize money, with an additional $1,000 awarded for the best-decorated donation jug.
There are two ways to give. Supporters can donate in person by stopping by the Marietta Community Foundation at 100 Putnam Street in Marietta and placing a donation in the sheriff’s office decorated jug, or donate electronically through the foundation’s PayPal link, selecting “Washington County Sheriff’s Office” from the drop-down menu, the sheriff’s office said.
The deadline to donate is November 16, 2026 — which gives Southeast Ohio supporters less than a week to push the sheriff’s office into the top five and toward a share of the prize money.
K-9 and mounted units are among the most visible — and most community-funded — parts of a sheriff’s office: dogs that search, track and detect, and horses whose presence anchors parades, fairs and crowd events across Washington County. The challenge turns that support into a friendly competition among local nonprofits, with the foundation’s prize pool rewarding the organizations that rally their communities best.
“Whether it’s a few dollars or more, every contribution makes a difference,” the sheriff’s office said in its announcement. “This is an opportunity for us to come together and support two programs that do so much for our agency and community.”
What happens next is the finish line: donations close November 16, and the foundation will tally the challenge and award the $30,000 in prize money among the top five finishers, plus the $1,000 best-decorated-jug prize. The sheriff’s office is asking supporters to help spread the word in the meantime — in its words, “Let’s fill those jugs!”
Photo: pasa47, CC BY