[2023-05-28] Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind fundraiser and giveaway

Since losing our beloved Freddie last September, we have found other ways to get a regular doggie fix. Our destination of choice is usually Bruce Pit, an off-leash dog park in the west end of Ottawa, where we can meet, greet and pet dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds.

But today, Mel and I did something a little different: we headed to Andrew Haydon Park, overlooking the Ottawa River, to take part in Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Dollars for Dogs Fundraising Walk.

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind is a national charitable organization that trains Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers, and crosses between these two breeds to serve as trained guide dogs (nationally) and mobility assistance dogs (Ottawa area). The organization does not receive any ongoing government funding and operates solely through donations and fundraising.

Today's fundraising event was the organization's 39th such walk. Mel and I each paid a $30 entrance fee, happy to have a chance to walk among beautiful animals and people, in a gorgeous setting, on a sunny day. We went in with no expectations, but came away enriched for the experience.

Not knowing how big an event it would be, I worried that we might have difficulty finding parking, but such was not the case. The Dollars for Dogs Fundraising Walk is a small event and there was plenty of parking in the park's nearby lots.

Upon registering for the walk, Mel and I each received a goody bag with dog treats and dog paraphernalia, which was a happy surprise. We also received a ballot for door prizes. The energy among the volunteers was positive and appreciative.

Before the walk got underway, we chatted with some of the dog owners. One woman was both a puppy walker—someone who raises and socializes pups in the program until the dogs enter formal training, typically between 12 and 18 months of age—and a carer for retired guide dogs. Both the retired dogs that she cares for have cancer, but as a retired nurse, she is comfortable handling the medications needed to keep these dogs in fine form.

As we headed out on the walk, Mel and I struck up a conversation with another puppy walker, a woman who had just recently relinquished the puppy she had been raising for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, as that dog moved on to the next stage in its training. We talked about dogs and where we were from and then, organically, we discovered that we were both cancer survivors, both carriers of a mutation in our breast cancer genes (she in her BRCA1 gene, I in my BRCA2 gene), and both retired public servants. She explained that she had had breast cancer, followed by a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. When she learned that she was BRCA positive, she opted for a hysterectomy to reduce her risk of ovarian cancer. I recounted my own story of having had ovarian cancer, the discovery of the BRCA2 gene change in my tumours, the subsequent confirmation that I had the BRCA2 gene change in all my cells (which meant that I had inherited the gene mutation) and the cascading testing that many of my family members were availing themselves of. I also indicated that I had decided to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction to reduce my risk of breast cancer.

When we finished our walk, we continued our chat over a slice of pizza and drink (provided free to everyone who took part in the walk). Our perfect day of kindness, dogs, goodies, stimulating conversation and food was topped off by door prizes. Both Mel and I took home a prize. We were incredibly impressed by the organization of this fundraiser by Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. We look forward to participating in the walk again next year.

To share some of the good will we benefited from today, Mel and I decided to give away our loot bags and door prizes: two doggie goodie bags, one gift basket and one curling iron (details below). If you would like one of the giveaways, contact me. First come, first served. We'll find a way to connect for the handoff.

Doggie treats and paraphernalia x2
  • Cookie Pal® sweet potato and flaxseed dog treats
  • Cookie Pal® bacon-flavoured dog treats x3
  • Earth Rated® doggie poop bags and carrier
  • Earth Rated® dog bandana
  • CNIB notepad
  • Ren's Pets® ball
  • Ganz® leash
  • Cookie Pal® and Ren's Pets® tote bags
Gift basket from Lasting Impressions Gifts
  • Taylors of Harrogate® green tea with lemon
  • Mrs. McGarrigle's® mustard
  • Ghirardelli® dark chocolate mint square
  • Castello® brie cheese [not sure whether this is shelf stable]
  • Comfort Collection® butter-flavoured pretzels
  • Gourmet Village® lemon-dill dip mix
  • Goplana® orange jellies in chocolate
Curling iron
  • Revlon ceramic tourmaline curling iron (1" barrell)