Guide Dogs for the Blind Fall Luncheon is Sold Out

Guests at the Oregon Fall Luncheon

Portland, November 2nd. The Oregon Zoo Cascade Crest Banquet Center was filled with four-legged friends for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Fall Luncheon. 330 people attended and raised $75,000. Proceeds support programs at GDB’s Oregon campus in Boring including training for dogs and students and veterinary care for working guides and puppies in training. (Photo Credit, Deb Ryan)

The program featured a dog training demonstration, a keynote address by Paralympic Downhill Skiing Bronze Medalist Danelle Umstead with her Guide Dog Bettylynn, as well as the ever-popular puppy delivery where puppy raisers received their new charges.

Guide Dogs for the Blind veterinarian Dr. Patti Van de Coevering and Arnie.

Guests at Guide Dogs for the Blind’s Oregon Fall Luncheon.

CEO of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Paul Lopez and his wife Deirdre enjoying the Oregon Fall Luncheon hosted by Guide Dogs for the Blind.

From Guide Dogs for the Blind:

It all began with a dream—the dream of creating the first guide dog training school on the West Coast. It was a dream shared by Lois Merrihew and Don Donaldson, who volunteered their efforts along with many others. They recognized the need to help wounded servicemen who would return from World War II without their sight. They believed in the potential of dogs to serve as guides for the blind.

Our school was incorporated in May of 1942 and began instruction of students in a rented home in Los Gatos, California, south of San Jose. A German Shepherd named Blondie was one of the first dogs trained. Blondie had been rescued from a Pasadena dog pound. She was later paired with Sgt. Leonard Foulk, the first serviceman to graduate from the new school.

Today…

In 1947, the school moved to our present 11-acre location in San Rafael, California, 20 miles north of San Francisco. In October of 1995, we held the first graduation at our new campus in Boring, Oregon, 25 miles east of Portland. We have graduated more than 10,000 teams since our beginnings in 1942.

Both campuses house students in exceptional dormitory facilities which include dining rooms, exercise rooms, libraries, computer rooms and social areas. Both are located near major metropolitan centers, providing graduated training from quiet rural areas to congested city streets and public transit. The dogs and puppies are cared for in meticulous kennels and state-of-the-art veterinary clinics. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever crosses are the breeds used. Professional staff and veterinarians nurture, groom, train and prepare the dogs for their futures as guides.

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.