Miami Lighthouse Dog Walk
Can you walk?
Can you waggle?
Can you stroll?
Join us for the 5th Annual Miami Lighthouse Dog Walk -
"Walk, Waggle, and Stroll"
My friends from the iPrep Academy Key Club will be with me! Be sure to stop by our awareness table.
Where and When:
The Shops of Midtown Miami
3401 N. Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Registration begins at 9 am and the walk begins at 9:30 am.
For more information, please contact: Mr. Cameron Sisser
csisser@miamilighthouse.org
786.362.7515
"Walk, Waggle, and Stroll"
My friends from the iPrep Academy Key Club will be with me! Be sure to stop by our awareness table.
Where and When:
The Shops of Midtown Miami
3401 N. Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Registration begins at 9 am and the walk begins at 9:30 am.
For more information, please contact: Mr. Cameron Sisser
csisser@miamilighthouse.org
786.362.7515
Photo Memories From Previous Miami Lighthouse Walks
Team Golden
I am on the right.
On Sunday, March 14th, I joined my friends at the Third Annual Miami Lighthouse Dog Walk in Midtown Miami (Florida). Fun activities were planned for the whole family and my friend, Winston, won the "best dressed" award for a 2nd year in a row.
I joined my Metro-Dade Search and Rescue friends while we walked. They are a group of Golden Retriever working dogs. These dogs go into fallen buildings after disasters looking for signs of life. Once these search dogs find people or animals alive, their rescue team partners (the people) go into the buildings to rescue the injured. I am proud to be a friend of this special team.
Click here to find out more about future Miami Lighthouse activities and events.
I joined my Metro-Dade Search and Rescue friends while we walked. They are a group of Golden Retriever working dogs. These dogs go into fallen buildings after disasters looking for signs of life. Once these search dogs find people or animals alive, their rescue team partners (the people) go into the buildings to rescue the injured. I am proud to be a friend of this special team.
Click here to find out more about future Miami Lighthouse activities and events.
 Twins Gracie and Christine |  Twins Little P and Winston |
I love my mom!
Learn About the Miami Lighthouse
The Miami Lighthouse has been serving children and adults for over seventy years. They have programs that help blind and visually impaired persons with their independent living skills. The also have programs for children and youth. They help teens transition into adulthood and offer assistance with skills needed for pursuing careers.
The Lighthouse has a special program for very young children. They work with blind babies doing Braille readiness from birth. One day I hope I can visit the Lighthouse and meet new friends.
Learn more about Braille on the American Foundation for the Blind Braille Bug site.
601 SW 8th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33130
305.856.2288
www.miamilighthouse.org
The Lighthouse has a special program for very young children. They work with blind babies doing Braille readiness from birth. One day I hope I can visit the Lighthouse and meet new friends.
Learn more about Braille on the American Foundation for the Blind Braille Bug site.
601 SW 8th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33130
305.856.2288
www.miamilighthouse.org
Seeing is Reading
The Miami Lighthouse has a program dedicated to providing free comprehensive eye examinations and eyeglasses to children in Miami-Dade County. The Dade County Optometric Association established this program in 1992 because thousands of children failed school vision screenings but never received thorough eye examinations or eyeglasses. As a therapy dog who values reading, I think it is very important that children have access to comprehensive eye examinations and, if needed, get good eyeglasses to help them see.
The Heiken Children’s Vision Program has three fully equipped mobile eye care offices. Yes, these are offices on wheels - large vans that visit schools. In two of the vans students get to go inside and eye examinations take place right there. I had a chance to look inside one of the vans. It's cool. Inside the van there are optometrists to conduct eye exams and technicians who fit children with eyeglasses. There is also a third van that has other equipment that is unloaded and carried into the schools. There are about 80 Miami-Dade County optometrists currently providing the exams and eyeglasses (by Optilab) free of charge.
For more information on the Heiken Children's Vision Program, you may contact Brenda Williamson, Manager of Grants and Program Compliance, at 305.856.9830
The Heiken Children’s Vision Program has three fully equipped mobile eye care offices. Yes, these are offices on wheels - large vans that visit schools. In two of the vans students get to go inside and eye examinations take place right there. I had a chance to look inside one of the vans. It's cool. Inside the van there are optometrists to conduct eye exams and technicians who fit children with eyeglasses. There is also a third van that has other equipment that is unloaded and carried into the schools. There are about 80 Miami-Dade County optometrists currently providing the exams and eyeglasses (by Optilab) free of charge.
For more information on the Heiken Children's Vision Program, you may contact Brenda Williamson, Manager of Grants and Program Compliance, at 305.856.9830
Learn About Service Dogs
Service dogs (also called assistance or guide dogs) are specially trained to help people with disabilities. They help people with daily tasks like crossing the street, picking up an object from the floor, walking around the grocery store, giving money to clerks at cash registers in stores, and turning on and off the lights.
Service dogs serve people who are blind, hearing impaired, or in wheelchairs. They can be guide dogs for the blind or hearing dogs to alert people who are hearing impaired or totally deaf. Service dogs can be trained to provide mobility assistance by helping someone move around in a wheelchair. They can also help the sick by alerting medical assistance if needed.
The Miami Lighthouse trains people to be ready to work with a guide dog, if they need and want one. A lot of training is needed for a dog to become a service dog. The dog must be alert, calm, strong, healthy, and patient. The dog is carefully bred and trained, and the cost involved is great - much more than $10,000.00 for each dog. Labrador Retrievers are the most commonly used guide dogs (70%) followed by Golden Retrievers (15%) and German Shepherds (15%). The Labs are the most commonly used as guide dogs because they are willing, calm, smart, dedicated, and strong.
The blind person to be serviced by the trained guide dog does not pay for the dog, but they usually have to go to school and spend a period of time being trained with their dog. This gives the person and guide dog time to develop a relationship and grow the following core values of character education together as a team:
Be mindful when you see a guide dog. Remember to respect a guide dog. The guide dog is doing a job providing important service to the blind person. Do not touch or talk to a guide dog while they are working. Make sure your own dog is on a leash and does not go up to a guide dog. By federal law, guide dogs are permitted to enter wherever a blind person goes, such as a restaurant, grocery store, theater, shopping mall, etc.
Learn more about guide dogs for the blind from Guiding Eyes for The Blind – “an internationally accredited guide dog school providing greater independence, dignity, and new horizon of opportunity.”
http://www.guidingeyes.org/
Service dogs serve people who are blind, hearing impaired, or in wheelchairs. They can be guide dogs for the blind or hearing dogs to alert people who are hearing impaired or totally deaf. Service dogs can be trained to provide mobility assistance by helping someone move around in a wheelchair. They can also help the sick by alerting medical assistance if needed.
The Miami Lighthouse trains people to be ready to work with a guide dog, if they need and want one. A lot of training is needed for a dog to become a service dog. The dog must be alert, calm, strong, healthy, and patient. The dog is carefully bred and trained, and the cost involved is great - much more than $10,000.00 for each dog. Labrador Retrievers are the most commonly used guide dogs (70%) followed by Golden Retrievers (15%) and German Shepherds (15%). The Labs are the most commonly used as guide dogs because they are willing, calm, smart, dedicated, and strong.
The blind person to be serviced by the trained guide dog does not pay for the dog, but they usually have to go to school and spend a period of time being trained with their dog. This gives the person and guide dog time to develop a relationship and grow the following core values of character education together as a team:
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Cooperation
- Kindness
Be mindful when you see a guide dog. Remember to respect a guide dog. The guide dog is doing a job providing important service to the blind person. Do not touch or talk to a guide dog while they are working. Make sure your own dog is on a leash and does not go up to a guide dog. By federal law, guide dogs are permitted to enter wherever a blind person goes, such as a restaurant, grocery store, theater, shopping mall, etc.
Learn more about guide dogs for the blind from Guiding Eyes for The Blind – “an internationally accredited guide dog school providing greater independence, dignity, and new horizon of opportunity.”
http://www.guidingeyes.org/
Seeing is Believing - Loving is Giving
Jason (track guide) and Henry
Henry Wanyoike is one of the world’s fastest runners. He was born in 1974 in Kikuyu, Kenya. Henry grew up in this small town, went to school, and started running when he was around 10 years old. Henry loved running as a child. During these early years, Henry’s running coaches identified him as one of Kenya's best runners and he trained year after year throughout his childhood.
One night Henry went to bed as usual after dinner. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. When he woke up in the morning, Henry was blind and has never seen anything again. Henry was only 19 years old when this happened.
Henry suffered a stroke while he was sleeping that night. He said, "I went to bed a normal person and the following day I found myself in darkness." That night Henry lost 95% of his vision and over the next few years he lost his vision completely. "I thought my life had come to an end.”
Henry still loves running and continues to be a world track champion runner. With runner partner and childhood friend Jason, Henry runs on tracks and the side of a road for fun and practice. He also runs in marathons. As a blind runner, Henry is connected to his runner partner. Jason serves as a running guide connected to Henry by a rope on the wrist. Henry’s guide helps Henry stay safe while he is running. He helps Henry avoid obstacles on the running course by giving the rope a little tug.
Before Henry began running with Jason, he learned how to walk alongside him. After a lot of practice, Henry competed as a non-sighted runner representing Kenyan in the 2000 Olympics. He won a gold medal.
Seeing is Believing is a campaign to combat avoidable blindness. This non-profit group is currently raising donations to provide eye care services to poor people. Please visit their website at www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk to learn more.
One night Henry went to bed as usual after dinner. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. When he woke up in the morning, Henry was blind and has never seen anything again. Henry was only 19 years old when this happened.
Henry suffered a stroke while he was sleeping that night. He said, "I went to bed a normal person and the following day I found myself in darkness." That night Henry lost 95% of his vision and over the next few years he lost his vision completely. "I thought my life had come to an end.”
Henry still loves running and continues to be a world track champion runner. With runner partner and childhood friend Jason, Henry runs on tracks and the side of a road for fun and practice. He also runs in marathons. As a blind runner, Henry is connected to his runner partner. Jason serves as a running guide connected to Henry by a rope on the wrist. Henry’s guide helps Henry stay safe while he is running. He helps Henry avoid obstacles on the running course by giving the rope a little tug.
Before Henry began running with Jason, he learned how to walk alongside him. After a lot of practice, Henry competed as a non-sighted runner representing Kenyan in the 2000 Olympics. He won a gold medal.
Seeing is Believing is a campaign to combat avoidable blindness. This non-profit group is currently raising donations to provide eye care services to poor people. Please visit their website at www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk to learn more.
Henry (left) and Jason
