the Voyageur Lions Club
The sixth-annual Purina Walk for Dog Guides will be held Sunday, May 29 at 1 p.m. at Pither’s Point Park.
This national fundraiser for the Lions Foundation of Canada’s training school in Oakville, Ont. has become an anticipated event in Fort Frances.
More than 200 communities are hosting a walk this year, making it a truly nation-wide event.
Once again, we will asking participants to collect pledges, then bring themselves and their canine companions out for some fun at the park.
Refreshments and the chance to win prizes will be part of the afternoon.
The Voyageur Lions Club covers all of the costs of this event so that all money raised by the participants goes to the dog guide school to train dogs for vision, hearing, autism, seizure response, and special assistance skills for those with physical limitations.
The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (LFCDG) is a national charity. Its mission is to provide service to Canadians with a medical or physical disability in the areas of mobility, safety, and independence.
Since 1983, the Lions Foundation of Canada has operated Dog Guides Canada to provide specially-trained dog guides to more than 1,600 men, women, and children from coast to coast.
In addition to training dog guides for people who are blind or visually-impaired, LFCDG also trains those to meet the needs of Canadians with disabilities.
All dog guides and required training, including transportation and accommodation, are provided at no cost to qualified applicants.
The Foundation does not receive any government support and relies on the support of fundraising events and donations from service clubs, corporations, foundations, and individuals across the country.
It costs almost $20,000 to raise and train a dog guide. As well, the facility in Oakville recently has been expanded so even more Canadians can get the benefit of these wonderful canine helpers.
Anyone who would like to support this event, by giving a donation, can go to www.purinawalkfordogguides.com
Follow the links to pledge your online support for an individual walker or to a community walk.
Pledge sheets also are available locally at Nirvana, Pharmasave, Bonnie Blue, Diana’s Needle Art, and Nor-West Animal Clinic or by calling Joyce Zub at 274-3979.
