Help spread the Guiding Eyes message by joining us on Twitter and Facebook!  We’re excited to announce that we’ve recently expanded our online social networking.  New buttons on our website allow you to easily share links to Guiding Eyes on Facebook, Twitter, and Delicious.  You can also check us out on YouTube at www.youtube.com/guidingeyesguidedogs. 

Guiding Eyes Graduate Joe Yee Attends Ski for Light

Since losing his sight at the age of 24, Guiding Eyes grad Joe Yee hasn’t let much slow him down.  Last month, Joe and Guiding Eyes Cecilia traveled from Medford, Massachusetts to Midway, Utah to participate in Ski for Light, a 10k cross country race for blind and visually impaired skiers.  Each disabled skier is paired with a sighted guide, and the experience is open to first timers and experts alike.  The team practices for a week, and then competes against other teams on the final day.  

As a first time skier, Joe was matched with Guiding Eyes instructor Krissy Andersen, who volunteers her time as a sighted ski guide.  The pair worked hard together throughout the week and headed into race day with a best time of 1 hour and 37 minutes.  Adrenaline must have kicked in, because on race day they finished in 1 hour and 3 minutes, beating their former time by over half an hour!  Congratulations to Joe and Krissy. 

Eastern Connecticut Puppy Raising Region Raises Funds for Kennel Enrichment

For Guiding Eyes’ dedicated volunteer raisers, puppy love lasts a lifetime.  Many of the puppies raised in Eastern Connecticut are currently living in the Yorktown kennels while in formal training with Guiding Eyes instructors. 

All winter long, the Eastern Connecticut Region held a series of fundraisers at local malls.  They raised over $1,000 and chose to donate the funds to purchase toys for our dogs to enjoy during breaks from training.  

Thank you Eastern Connecticut!

Guiding Eyes graduate Kathy Nimmer truly understands the magical union that occurs when a blind person and guide dog work together.  In February, Kathy received a Lilly Endowment Grant to support the publication of her book, which tells the true stories of disabled people and their service dogs.  She will be taking submissions from around the world, but says that Guiding Eyes grads and their dogs will be featured prominently.  Kathy’s hope is that her book will help to improve the public’s perceptions of the service dog community. 

For more information, or to make a submission or suggestion, contact Kathy at theblindteacher@hotmail.com. 

The Vincent Family of Annandale, VA is proud to own three released Guiding Eyes dogs: David, Viking, and Kato.  All three worked as guide dogs and were adopted by the Vincents upon their retirements. 

Amidst his busy senior year in high school, Max Vincent found the time to fundraise as a way to say thank you for the family’s precious pets.  Max distributed jars to family members and friends for collection of spare change.  In a year’s time, he gathered over $400 for Guiding Eyes! 

It’s the generosity of our supporters - corporations and foundations, families and individuals, and kids like Max - that allows Guiding Eyes to continue its life-changing work.  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

About Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1956 to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and expanded horizons of opportunity. Since that time, Guiding Eyes has become one of the foremost guide dog schools in the world, graduating more than 7,000 guide dog teams. It provides superbly bred Guiding Eyes dogs, professional training and follow-up support services to students at no cost to them and depends on contributions to fulfill its mission. The comprehensive cost of breeding, raising, preparing, training, and supporting a Guiding Eyes team is $45,000. Guiding Eyes for the Blind's Headquarters and Training Center is located in Yorktown Heights, New York and the Canine Development Center is in Patterson, New York. Visit us at donate.guidingeyes.org.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind | National Headquarters and Training Center
611 Granite Springs Road | Yorktown Heights | NY | 10598