SELAH — In the past few years, Brian Harris has spent some hot, and windy, and rainy days temporarily living in a large dog kennel outside his business, Brian Harris Used Cars. But nothing has stopped him from this fundraiser in memory of his daughter, Emily Harris.
He stepped into the chain-link kennel on Sunday and will leave it Tuesday to again raise awareness and funds for local domestic violence survivors. Harris is also hoping others join him at 622 S. First St. during the #LiveLikeEmily Jail and Bail Team Challenge for the Emily Harris Memorial Foundation.
Emily Harris, a 30-year-old mother of two, was strangled to death by her husband at their home in Selah on Jan. 24, 2020. The husband later killed himself. The dog kennel is meant to symbolize the confinement and isolation many survivors endure, according to a news release.
Brian and Fran Harris created the foundation to honor their daughter’s life by supporting causes that protect and empower survivors of domestic violence. The foundation donates all of its funds to YWCA Yakima.
During his dog kennel fundraisers, Brian Harris puts up large posters with photos and information about Emily, stocks the kennel with snacks, food and drinks. He spends his nights in a sleeping bag, leaving only to use the restroom.
As visitors make donations, Harris presents them with gifts, many with the hashtag #livelikeemily. Harris also gives donors enthusiastic shout-outs on his personal Facebook page, along with videos updating fundraising efforts and more.
In September 2023, Harris raised more than $72,000 with his stay in the dog kennel. That pushed the foundation’s fundraising total at that point to more than half a million dollars.
Along with his dog kennel stay, Harris is raising funds through the Jail and Bail Team Challenge on Monday and Tuesday. Teams of six are competing in one-hour fundraising challenges next to the kennel, the news release said. Church teams and the Selah fire and police departments are among those who’ve battled to raise the most money in an hour.
“Brian Harris’s public challenge draws attention,” said Cheri Kilty, CEO of YWCA Yakima. “But it’s the impact behind it — funding safe shelter and services — that changes lives.”