Freeborn County Humane Society volunteers will host their second annual Buckets on Broadway fundraiser on Friday, collecting money for operating costs of the animal shelter.

During the fundraiser, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., volunteers will stand at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway Avenue with buckets for donations.

“We’re pretty dire in operating costs right now,” said Humane Society Director Christa Stieler.

Stieler said with all the donations people have been making to support the building expansion, there have not been as many donations made toward operating costs.

“We’ve been pushing for building funds for so long, it’s depleted our operating donations,” she said.

She hopes the event will go well but recognizes last year’s Buckets on Broadway event was riding on the heels of the scandal with former Freeborn County Commissioner Linda Tuttle — who gambled away $150,000 of entrusted escrow money intended to go toward the Humane Society’s building expansion.

Tuttle has since admitted to taking more than $1 million from the escrow accounts at her company to pursue a gambling addiction. In April, she pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud.

After raising more than $100,000 after this incident, Stieler said the organization still needs to raise about $17,000 or $18,000 to finish the building addition, which they hope to obtain through grants. Some money is also expected at some time from a settlement with Tuttle’s insurance companies.

Right now the organization has to focus on day to day costs.

Stieler said the Humane Society is providing shelter to 26 cats and 17 dogs, and there are an additional 20 cats and two dogs in foster care.

At one point during the last year, the nonprofit organization provided shelter to more than 70 cats and kittens.

Stieler said she has had to send animals to other rescues because of a lack of space and because of construction noise.