Walkathon Was Great Fun!

Saturday was the Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon.  We had a group of six walking for Team Coach: Jan, Christina, Fred, me, Elizabeth and Carly.  Jan and Christina work with me in the library.  Elizabeth and Carly are my student library proctor leaders.  Everyone was played a major role in raising the $3640 dollars that resulted in our being able to name a puppy Dewey (after the Dewey Decimal System!).

The team at the start of the walk. 

 We all wore our Team Coach t-shirts.  They were pale blue and had an artistic b/w photo of Coach on the front with Team Coach curving over the top.

Cheryl, Christina and Jan with Coach sitting at our feet. 

 The walk was perfect.  There was a slight cool breeze and it was sunny.  It was a lovely day.

Here we are stopped by the water's edge waiting for Jan and Fred to catch up.

A view from the back as we are walking to the finish.

Jan took a great photo of Fred kneeling by Coach.

Here's a photo of Carly, Elizabeth, Christina and Cheryl at the finish line.

 After we finished the walk, we went over to the blind walks where the trainers had some of the phase 3 dogs out giving walks.  Carly and Elizabeth took a blind walk.  This stage is the stage that Jam is at.

Carly starts on her walk with her new guide.

Carly and her guide are making great strides.

Elizabeth has a chocolate lab for a guide.

 Later in the evening, Raichell, of the other student library proctor leaders was able to join us for the walkathon dinner.  The fourth, Keebler, had play practice.

Here we all are dressed up for the walkathon dinner.

 It was really great for all of the girls to be able to hear from the people who would be benefitting from their hard work what it meant to the guide dog recipients: the freedom it gave them, the way it changed it their lives.  It was also nice to get to see friends from far away and reconnect and to be able to chat with friends who live nearby.  All in all it was a great evening.

Stephanie, Carolyn and Cheryl.  Carolyn is our group's area coordinator
and Stephanie is her second in command.

Naming a Puppy: Almost Halfway There!

I'm excited and proud to announce that we are close to $1500 in our quest to name a puppy for the Walkathon for Southeastern Guide Dogs.  The Student Library Proctors are trying to raise $3500, which is the amount you need to name a puppy.  Our next milestone is $1500.  We just had a breaksale and sold almost $200 in donuts and bagels and ice cream bars!  It was lovely!

Here is photo of one of our previous breaksales that shows two tables full of Dunkin Donuts! 8 dozen to be exact!!

We have quite an energetic crew that is trying to reach this lofty goal.  I am so impressed and proud of them.  They have really worked hard and pulled off something great.  To have amassed this much already is amazing.  

We just received a note from Southeastern that we were a "Top Dog" fundraiser for raising over $1,000. Won't you be part of our success?  Email me if you want to get some raffle tickets or go to Coach's fundraising page to contribute.  We also have cute totes for sale for $15 plus shipping (unless you live in Tampa: 

Photo of our totebags with the drawings of famous authors on them.  The drawings were done by a  student library proctor.  Authors include: Shakespeare, Poe, Austin and Lee.

  

As a sidenote, what library-related puppy names do you think we should name the next male puppy?  So far we have:

• Dewey
• Booker

Harry Potter themed names include: 

• Sirius
• Harry
• Lupin
• Hagrid
• Fluffy
• Ronald
• Pigwidgeon
• Dumbledore
• Albus
• Aberforth
• Neville
• Dobby
• Firenze
• Buckbeak
• Severus

What is your favorite?

Lions, Freshmen and Break Sales

Friday was a super busy day for Coach and me.  I taught 5 classes and we had a student library proctor (SLPs) break sale.  The SLPs are hoping to raise enough money to name a puppy next year!  We made almost $200 dollars with this break sale. Woot! Coach's walkathon page will be going up very soon and all proceeds to it will be added to the SLPs naming effort.  Stay tuned for the link. 8-)

We had a huge amount of donuts and some bagels for the break sale. Raichell and  Carly helped set up. 

 Coach and I couldn't stay for much of the sale as I needed to get the Straz classroom set up for my freshman seminar class and it is quite a hike over to it!

Coach gets some head pats by Kimberly after class.

Those classes went really well.  We talked about how to be better Google searchers and also about the dangers of emotional posts on twitter (or facebook for that matter). Think before you post. Here is one of my advisees with Coach after class.

I had also signed up to go to the Palm Harbor Lion's White Cane fundraiser at Publix on Saturday at Alderman and 19.  Originally I was supposed to go at 10.  Gail, a yellow goldadore was going at 9 and Ava a cute 8 week old black lab was coming at 11.  I can be shy and reticent at things like this and I really prefer to go to them knowing that people I know are going to be there, hence my sneaky plan to be there at 10 in between Ava and Gail.  Well, yesterday, Gail had surgery to remove a cyst (all is well, but she is in the cone of shame and can't go out in public).  So, Gail couldn't make her 9 curtain call.  Time for Coach to step up.

Crickets chirping on the email line.

I reread the email.  Poo.  I typed in my response: "Coach and I will go at 9."  EEEK.  Go to an event, where I know no one and spend two hours not only talking to them, but asking people for money.  Could I possibly do anything I like worse?  Maybe I would have a cold on Saturday.

No such luck.  I woke feeling great.  Coach was feeling great and despite my heavy heart, we got in the car and we drove to the publix.  When I stepped out of the car, I thought, "Put your big girl panties on and suck it up."

Coach with two of the Palm Harbor Lion's Club members.

It is amazing what having a cute dog with you can do.  I do believe the Lion's would have been kind and nice to anyone, but they were SO excited that one of the guide dogs in training had been able to make it out to their event that I felt like a million bucks.  And then when we got set up, I could see the difference having Coach there meant to their event.  

People who would have just walked by stopped and asked about Coach, then gave money.  People who might not have given money smiled at the dog and then thought about it while grocery shopping and came out and asked to pet him and donated.  We had kids coming up and putting money in the basket.  And through it all Coach played like a champion.  He was calm and sweet and EVERYONE was amazed at his sweet temperament.  And the Lion's that I worked with were delightful.  I had such a wonderful morning.  What I thought was going to be a chore, turned into something very fun.

Although, I did have a little bet going with the Lion's club president.  I wanted him to count the money that Coach brought in and then count the money that Ava (the 8 week old puppy) brought in.  I'm betting Ava brought in more money. I love my Coach, but a younger, good looking girl will bring in the bucks every time!