Bancroft Lions’ Club Dog Guides’ Walk raises over $3,000

By Michael Riley

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On May 26, the Bancroft Lions' Club Dog Guides Walk, sponsored by Pet Valu, set out from the Santa House in the Riverside Park parking lot. Five dogs and their owners partook in the walk, which raises money for Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, which provides dog guides to Canadians living with disabilities free of charge. Laverne Stapley, with the Bancroft Lions' Club, says the Bancroft walk raised $3,065, with more money coming in over the coming weeks.
The Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides is an accredited not for profit that relies on its largest fundraising event the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides, by providing Canadians with disabilities dog guides at no cost, to empower them and provide support. All proceeds from walks in Bancroft and across the country go towards the $35,000 cost to breed, train and place a dog guide.
The LFCDG supports local communities like Bancroft with their Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides in the planning and execution of the walks and are given one on one support from the fundraising team, including promotional materials, liability insurance and any other assistance they need.
There has been a high demand for dog guides for many years, with one in five Canadians living with a disability, providing safety and independence they would not have otherwise. Thanks so sponsor Pet Valu, all the proceeds go directly back to dog guide programs. These programs are; canine vision, hearing, service, seizure response, autism assistance, diabetic alert, and facility support. Each walk is organized by local volunteers, in the spring and fall, with support from the LFCDG. To date the walks have raised over $21 million. For more information, go to www.dogguides.com.  
The sunny, warm weather on May 25 was conducive to getting their furry canine friends out for a stroll to raise money for the Lions' Club Dog Guides. Stapley says that the first walk he organized was back in 2005. This year's route started at the Santa House at Riverside Park, went over the bridge on Station Street to Pet Valu, who are a major sponsor of the event, where they stopped to refresh and get a photo taken with the store's staff. They then headed back to Riverside Park for some barbecued hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas and water and to find some shade.
After the walk on May 27, Stapley told Bancroft This Week that the event had raised $3,065.
“It worked out quite well. I was quite happy,” he says.
Maria Galindo, director of marketing and communications with the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, told Bancroft This Week that they don't know the total number of participants yet, but that over 200 walks occurred across Canada, including the Bancroft walk.
“As of now, we're halfway to our goal of $760,899. Our goal is $1.6 million so we still need the public's support. Folks can donate until June 30,” she says. “People can donate at www.walkfordogguides.com.”