October 2013
Dear Family, friends and colleagues,
In January 2009, I met Verona, the dog who saved my life by giving me back my independence. This is all possible because of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Through Verona, I was offered the opportunity to once again walk the path of blindness with dignity and confidence.
January 2014 will celebrate our five year partnership. In the spirit of paying it forward, it is my hope that you will help me by assisting in sponsoring the January 25th, 2014 graduation with a $25 donation, the overall goal being $500. To acknowledge your support, for those of you who are local, guiding Eyes is inviting all of you to a pre-graduation lunch and tour of the Guiding Eyes campus as a way to thank you for your gift.
Here are some guide dog facts to help understand just how much time and effort is invested into them.
- Currently, there over 1000 working Guiding Eyes teams.
- Cost per dog: Approximately $45,000 to breed, raise, train and match a dog, as well as to support the team throughout their lifetime together. Both guide dogs and autism service dogs are provided to their handlers at no charge.
- Over 7000 teams have graduated from Guiding Eyes since it began in 1954
- Volunteers: More than 1,400 people support the Guiding Eyes mission in a number of roles, including puppy raising, fostering members of our breeding colony, socializing our pups and dogs in training and assisting with events, administrative tasks and special projects.
- About 470 pups are weaned annually – 92% Labs, 8% German Shepherds
- About half of dogs bred become guide dogs, autism service dogs or join the breeding program
n Courtesy of www.guidingeyes.org
Now that you know a little bit more about this distinctive and dedicated organization, I can’t think of any more appropriate way to share the gift of independence with my family, friends, and colleagues. Hosting the January 2014 graduation celebration would mean so much to us and with your support, we can make it happen. In addition to the lunch and campus tour, there will even be puppies available for paw-o-graphs and a kennel tour.
To make your donation, please go to: http://www.crowdrise.com/sharethewarmthforguidingeyes/fundraiser/annchiappetta
To obtain driving directions, go to: www.guidingeyes.org
Or, please call me for more information: 914-393-6605.
Affectionately,
Annie & Verona