It was amazing to attend the Lions Foundation of Canada (LFC) Dog Guides Graduation night and witness this pivotal night in each graduate’s life with their new Dog Guide. To meet the beneficiary and see the impact of all our hard work was just heart-warming.
Meeting John and Zircon with the rest of the HRCCA board members.
Last year it was an honour to co-chair Halton Region Chinese Canadian Association’s Chinese New Year Fundraiser, in which we as a community raised over $11,000 for Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and LFC Dog Guides. So, fast-forward to a year later, to actually see the fruit of our hard work and how it benefited someone in our community was remarkable. John is an outstanding gentleman, who became visually-impaired in his adult life, now has Zircon, his new Canine Vision Dog Guide to assist him with everyday tasks. With Zircon, John seems to be even more confident and motivated to continue with his public speaking career. I am honoured to have had this privilege to give back and help an individual through LFC Dog Guides.
Cheque presentation with fellow Co-Chairs, HRCCA President and representatives from CNIB and LFC Dog Guides
On a personal note, it was also a treat to run into one of my favourite and previous professor, Marilyn Smith from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry. You may know my long and continuing history with Lions Clubs International, so to learn we were co-sponsoring John and Zircon with the UW School of Optometry Campus Lions was extra special. It’s inspiriting to know younger and upcoming optometrists, and soon-to-be young professionals, have a passion in serving the community. I hope once they graduate with their doctorate, this passion will only continue to grow as it has for me.
If you would like to learn more about the Dog Guides and how you can get involved, please visit their website www.dogguides.com
Marilyn Smith and I with a fellow graduate of the Canine Vision Dog Guide Program.