It was a day when a group of athletes came together to support their sport and their community. In one sense, it was another step on what has been a long and difficult road. More than 20 competitors assembled at the Bucks County Academy of Fencing in Lambertville on Sunday for an all-female event to benefit Animal Alliance. A portion of the fencers’ entry fees along with dollars raised through food and T-shirt sales, plus impromptu dona-tions, were earmarked for the animal rescue and adop-tion organization, which is based in Lambertville.
“The club has done very good things for Animal Alliance,” says Anne Trinkle, Animal Alliance’s founder and exec-utive director. “Fencers are amazing.”
Lisa Martini co-owns the academy with her husband, Mark Holbrow, and serves as its business manager. She also serves on the Animal Alliance board of directors as its vice president.
In recent years the club has held two fun-draisers each year for the organization. But that was before August 28, 2011, when Hur-ricane Irene unleashed its fury on the East Coast. In its wake the 10,000 square-foot building was left with 3½ feet of water and debris on its fencing room floor.
“The floor was not attached to the ground,” Martini recalls, “and it floated up. “There was furniture underneath our floor.”
BCAF member Jennifer Niemeyer.
Jennifer niemeyer, of Yardley, participates Sunday in Bucks County Academy of fencing’s fundraiser at the school in Lambertville. The organization relied heavily on the tight-knit fencing community to return to its headquarters after hurricane Irene inflicted heavy damage in 2011.
By Rick Woelfel
Correspondent
