In this Issue |
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New Puppies |
| One of our newest golden retriever puppies sleeping soundly |
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Did You Know?Any individual or group that donates at least $5,000 to The Seeing Eye gets to name one of our precious puppies.
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| L to R: Ginger Kutsch, Kirsten Hotchkiss, Jim Kutsch and Rob Steidlitz pose with their tandem bikes. All four are wearing The Seeing Eye’s custom Gran Fondo jerseys. |
Seeing Eye Supporters Raise $24,000 and Still Climbing!
To date, Seeing Eye supporters have raised $24,000 through the Gran Fondo charity bike ride! The bike tour and other GFNJ festivities will take place August 26-28, 2011. The Seeing Eye team is led by Seeing Eye President & CEO Jim Kutsch and his wife Ginger, who will be riding tandem bikes with the husband and wife team of Rob Steidlitz and Kirsten Hotchkiss as their captains. Rob and Kirsten are Seeing Eye supporters and we are glad to have them on our team. Are you curious about what it’s like to train for such a long and challenging bike ride? Follow Ginger’s blog titled, “Ginger’s Cycling Blind Journal,”. The two tandem bike teams have a friendly competition going to see who can raise the most money for The Seeing Eye – the women or the men! Ways to Support The Seeing Eye:
- Support The Seeing Eye staff team of riders through donations. Use the links above to make your donation. The Seeing Eye will accept Gran Fondo donations through September 30.
- Forward this email. Please help us spread the word by forwarding this special announcement to family and friends!
- Order a Custom Seeing Eye Jersey! Support The Seeing Eye by ordering one of the beautiful custom jerseys designed for this event. For more information and a photo visit www.SeeingEye.org/Ride
For more information about Gran Fondo New Jersey, please visit the official event web site at www.GranFondoNJ.com. If you have questions about this event or would like more information, please email ride@seeingeye.org.
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| Seeing Eye graduate Urban Miyares and his German shepherd Crockett pose for a photo on the bench just outside The Seeing Eye’s main entrance. |
Seeing Eye Graduate Urban Miyares
For Seeing Eye graduate Urban Miyares, the decision to come to The Seeing Eye when he needed a guide dog in 1992, was a simple one. Miyares, who had struggled with his sight for many years due to complications from diabetes and knew he would eventually lose his sight to the disease, was a Vietnam veteran and had met many guide dog users at conferences and other gatherings of war veterans.
An active entrepreneur, Miyares has founded dozens of businesses over the last three decades. In addition to his business activities, he is a motivational speaker, lecturer and serves as the president of the Disabled Businesspersons Association, a San Diego-based, volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) public charity he founded in 1985. He says his Seeing Eye® dog improves his business relationships by helping him deliver a positive first impression with their good behavior. “People remember the dog’s name, which helps them remember me easier,” said Miyares. He also finds that having a dog serves as a conversation starter and social ice breaker when meeting new people or attending networking functions.
Miyares has never regretted his decision to have a Seeing Eye dog. His second dog, Dutchess, accrued 1.2 million air miles over the 10 years she spent with Miyares. She met two presidents and was at Miyares’ side when he served as adviser to the White House during the Clinton administration. When Dutchess had to retire, Miyares schedule was so busy, he was unable to come back to The Seeing Eye for several months. He laments at the difficulty of traveling without a guide dog. “The dogs get so used to traveling that they know how to find baggage claim and the cab stand. I had to take a friend on some of my trips because traveling with a cane just wasn’t the same. I go at 90 to 100 miles per hour all the time and it’s terrible to have to slow down.” Miyares is currently working with Crockett, his third German shepherd from The Seeing Eye. |
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The Seeing Eye Plans Open House for First Time in More Than Three Decades
We are pleased to announce the first Seeing Eye open house in more than 30 years on Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will provide a glimpse of places that are not showcased during the organization’s regular tours. Visitors will be able to take a guided tour of the campus, watch training demonstrations, meet Seeing Eye® dog handlers and puppy raisers, and talk to instructors.
Tickets are $5 for adults and children over 5 years. Tickets for children 5 years and younger are free. Tickets must be purchased in advance and presented at the door. Visit www.SeeingEye.org/OpenHouse for more information.
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| L to R: Seeing Eye CFO & Director of Administration and Finance Bob Pudlak, Bollinger Insurance Chairman & CEO Jack Windolf, Seeing Eye President & CEO Jim Kutsch with Colby, and Bollinger Insurance Managing Director Matt Gardner
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Insurance Company Makes Donation
The Seeing Eye’s insurance broker, Bollinger Insurance, participated in the Chubb Charity Challenge, a golf outing that brings together insurance agents, brokers and customers throughout the United States and Canada each year to raise money for charity. Bollinger selected The Seeing Eye as its beneficiary and presented a check (pictured at right) for $3,500. |
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| Two young girls sit in the grass and pet a black Labrador retriever, who is resting between them, as they smile at the camera.
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Puppy Raising Families Celebrate with The Seeing Eye
The Seeing Eye hosted Family Day on Saturday, August 20. The annual event is held for active puppy raising families to thank them for all the effort they put into raising Seeing Eye puppies. More than 1,200 people from 370 families descended on The Seeing Eye’s Morristown campus for a full day of activities that included educational presentations by the training and veterinary staff, a dog training demonstration, and a book signing by Stephanie K. Litwin, author of Raising Otter. The Seeing Eye honored 67 puppy raisers who earned scholarships for their first year of college. Graduate presenters Julia Spencer, Les Cameron, Jon Goodman and Mike Moran each spoke with the puppy raisers about their personal experiences and how their Seeing Eye dog impacted their lives. A picnic style lunch was provided for all attendees and countless smiles were shared, free of charge!
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Seeing Eye Dog Attack Survey Results Available
The Seeing Eye conducted a survey of all guide dog users in the United States to determine the frequency and nature of attacks on guide dogs by other dogs. The outcome of the survey highlights the need for vigilance among the community where a guide dog is present. It’s as important as ever to educate dog owners about the need to keep guide dog teams safe. The Seeing Eye has made its analysis of the survey results, along with recommendations for dog owners, legislators, animal control and law enforcement officials, available on its web site at www.seeingeye.org/protect |
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