AMHERST - Hoping to top a previous year's total of about $4,500, two local Lions Clubs are gearing up for the annual Purina Walk for Dog Guides.
"Approximately 128 clubs across Canada participate in this walk, including Amherst and Parrsboro," said Walt Jones, the chair of the organizing committee in Amherst this year and zone chairman for the area.
On June 1, the Lions Foundation of Canada is hosting the annual walk, and the foundation is the only training centre in North America to train seeing eye, special needs, hearing ear and now seizure sensitive dogs and supplies them free of charge to clients.
"We'll have a band on site, with hot dogs and pop," Jones said about the event starting with registration at noon at the Amherst Stadium parking lot.
"A lot of people don't know that the people that walk aren't the ones making donations. They collect pledges for the walk."
This year's walk is approximately five kilometers and travels from the parking lot, down Church Street to East Pleasant and up to Willow. From Willow, walkers will head down the hill to Spring Street, which they'll follow back to Church Street, ending in the arena parking lot where they started.
For anyone traveling on the walk that may not be able to complete the full circuit, there will be transportation en route to take them back to the arena. There will also be two water stops along the way.
Dog guides cost between $5000-$6000, and training itself is an additional cost.
"The waiting time for dogs is money sensitive, so let's see if we can lower that waiting time for all the people who are in need of a specialty dog," said Jones.
If anyone needs any information or would like to help, call Walt Jones at 661-0917.
rtetanish@amherstdaily.com
Walk to assist those with disabilities
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Published on
May 8, 2008
- Published on January 3, 2010
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Raissa Tetanish
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