Roanoke outdoor events go on as planned despite heat wave

Events on Saturday prepared for hot day with shade, extra water

ROANOKE, Va. – The heat did not stop two Roanoke groups from trying to enjoy the outdoors on Saturday.

Angels of Assisi still held its Pawpalooza parade in Highland Park, where dozens of dogs and their owners came out to celebrate each other and raise money for the non-profit. Elsewhere in Roanoke, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia went ahead with its carnival to help its kids and mentors bond.

Temperatures were in the 90s during both events, and both organizers tried to plan for the hot weather as much as they could.

"This was harder because of the heat, but we made sure we had plenty of water and we're fortunate there's a lot of shade at the park," said Angels of Assisi Executive Director Lisa O'Neill.

"We figured we've got plenty of water," said Beth Reedy or Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virignia. "We were going to go forward with it because there's lots of shade here. We're just taking the opportunity to get out anyway today."