Rotary Donation Goes to Support Guide Dogs

On November 16, a $2,500 check from the Castro Valley Rotary Club was presented to Guide Dogs of America in Las Vegas to help pay expenses for the dogs that serve the visually impaired, veterans, and children with autism. 

Incoming CV Rotary President Misti Short, who owns Classy Canine's Wiggle Rumps, helped facilitate the fundraiser, which coincided with the annual Dogs and Deputies event in September. The check was initially presented to Hawgs for Dogs, a charity motorcycle group.  

“Their booth was impossible to miss,” Short said “Filled with Harley-Davidson riders, they are kind-hearted gentlemen with beards and leather jackets, each radiating warmth and passion for their mission. They also displayed a towering, three-story inflatable bull terrier at the Dogs and Deputies event.”

Short and Rotary past president Dwight Perry presented Hawgs for Dogs representative Sam Saiu with the check. Saiu then rode the check into Vegas on November 16. He presented it to the Guide Dogs group at the 43rd Annual William W. Winpisinger Charity Banquet, emceed by talk show host Rosie O’Donnell.

The donation helps provide 100 percent care for the dog, from medical to food to maintenance, for the dog's life, so the recipient does not have to pay for anything but gets to reap the benefits of having a service dog at no cost to them. 

Short said she was moved by the bikers’ commitment to volunteer their time and energy to this mission and used it as an inspiration during her Rotary leadership training.

“What started as a learning exercise has become a true expression of Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self,” she said.