Thank you to our generous June Graduate Sponsors…
“Congratulations to the June graduating class and guide teams. Healthy Vision Association is proud to support Guiding Eyes and all the great work you do.”
Healthy Vision Association Charity Fund
“We celebrate all of the graduates this day. We appreciate all of your perseverance to arrive at this point in your journey with Guiding Eyes. We dedicate our shared sponsorship of this particular graduation to the memory of Kate Fanti. She was an enthusiastic Guiding Eyes volunteer who brought the understanding of the important mission of Guiding Eyes to WCDNF. She brought Omar to a club meeting. We miss her and we believe that her giving, friendly manner helped with the preparation of the Guiding Eyes puppies. She often shared photos and anecdotes about her very special puppies at club meetings.”
Women’s Club Danbury/New Fairfield
Graduate Team: Sarah and Windsor
About the Team: Windsor, a male yellow Lab, is Sarah’s 3rd guide dog
Hometown: Halethorpe, Maryland
Guide Dog Mobility Instructor: Louise Thompson
Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Cornerstone University in Michigan. She moved East to Maryland several years ago to pursue a job opportunity. She likes to be active and enjoys hiking, as well as skiing, whether downhill, cross country or on water. When she’s not on skis, one of Sara’s hobbies is crocheting.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Windsor is a 2 ½ year old yellow Lab. He is generally calm, but gets very excited, wagging his tail when he knows he has done a good job completing a task. Windsor is playful at home. He enjoys running around the yard with my roommate’s pet dog. He also loves to play with squeaky toys! Windsor is a wonderful dog.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “Windsor is my first guide dog from Guiding Eyes. I really like that I was able to connect with Windsor’s puppy raisers and I can keep in touch with them.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “With a guide dog, I am able to walk faster and more confidently. Windsor leads me down a sidewalk or path and easily slides to the left or right to avoid an obstacle. With a cane, I first encounter the obstacle before I know I need to go around it. There is good public transportation where I live, and Windsor and I often ride the buses together too.”
Were there any training highlights? “I attended training at the Guiding Eyes campus in New York. The training program was very accommodating, and everyone was very nice. Windsor and I worked on commands together as well as curbs and crossing the street. A few days before the end of training, the class enjoyed a social gathering at a Mexican restaurant, which was very fun!”
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (C) (3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 13-1854606.
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