THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510050198
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
About 70 people and several dozen dogs gathered at Mount Trashmore last Saturday for the Virginia Beach 4-H Guiding Eyes for the Blind project.
They were there to raise money for the ``New Leash on Life'' walk and make the public more aware of need for more trained dogs to lead the blind.
It takes about $25,000 to train and graduate an animal and its human partner from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind program.
The Virginia Beach project was launched in 1994, when the first Labrador retrievers and German shepherd puppies arrived from Yorktown Heights, N.Y., where the parent school is based. It's one of the oldest and most well-known guide dog schools in the United States.
Participants in Saturday's walk gathered pledges from sponsors beforehand, and the donations are still being tallied.
The walkers and dogs followed a 2.2-kilometer route around the lake at Mount Trashmore Park.
Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf and Councilman Robert Dean were on hand for the event. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by STEPHANIE GRIMES
Carol Stanley, left, and her sister Amy Stanley participated in the
walk with Smoke, their German shepherd.
Olsen is a guide dog in pre-training.
by CNB