by Stephen Dafoe
The Morinville Lions Club will gather at the Morinville Fish and Game Association pond May 27 to once again take part in the Pet Value Walk for Dog Guides and are once again inviting the public to take part.
The national fundraiser is held in more than 200 communities across Canada and raises funds to help train Dog Guides for Canadians who have visual, hearing, medical or physical disabilities. This includes the training and provision of Canine Vision Dog Guides, Hearing Ear Dog Guides, Service Dog Guides, Seizure Response Dog Guides, Autism Assistance Dog Guides, and Diabetic Alert Dog Guides.
The Morinville event takes place May 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with registration running from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Registration will take place at the Morinville Fish and Game Club House, and the walk runs from the Skyline Ball Diamonds to the Fish and Game Pond trail.
Those interested in taking part can pick up a pledge form at TASER INC. in the industrial park, or register online at https://www.walkfordogguides.com/locations/walk.cfm?ID=1149.
Tax receipts are automatically issued for all donations more than $20.
Lions Club President Deborah Robillard is hoping to see lots of people out to do the walk – with or without a dog.
“It’s extremely important for the Lions Club to be involved because we feel it is necessary for individuals who are lacking the necessary coping skills – whether it’s dealing with the public, wanting to be able to go out to enjoy the outdoors,” Robillard said. “Having a dog guide gives them the security and comfort to go out and do what everyone normally does. Having them accomplish that is huge.”
Despite costing $25,000 to train a place a dog guide, all dog guides are provided at no cost to qualified applicants. One hundred per cent of donations raised go to providing Dog Guides to Canadians with disabilities. To date, the annual Walk for Dog Guides has raised more than $13 million for the cause.
