RSS 2.0 FeedApril 28, 2011, Cover Stories, Merrick Life
Join the Purple Heart Pups walk for disabled vets
Merrick plays host to guide dog fundraiser.
by Daniel Bornstein
Despite the debate over American military involvement overseas, all Americans can unite around showing deep appreciation for the men and women who leave their families and put their lives in jeopardy to defend our nation.
American citizens have the power not only to support our troops when they’re overseas but to help ease their transition to civilian life.
In Merrick, the Lions Club is an example of that: Its Purple Heart Pups campaign is devoted to raising money to provide veterans with guide dogs. These dogs are a source of companionship for veteran amputees who may have difficulty functioning immediately upon their return to civilian life.
The Lions Club will be holding a three-kilometer walk on Saturday, May 7, at the Four Towns Firefighter Training Center in Merrick to raise money for its guide dog effort. The proceeds will go to the National Amputation Foundation and America’s VetDogs.
This year, the event is adding a dog contest to encourage dog lovers to attend. The dog show will include the following categories: Best Kisser, Waggiest Tale, Best Trick, Best Dressed, Most Unique, and the dog and owner look-alike. The Merrick Lions Club will be partnering with Baldwin’s club, which has successfully done this type of dog show in the past.
In October, the Lions Club’s first walk was a huge success, bringing together over 100 walkers. Over 50 veterans associated with a veterans’ motorcycle club rode in on their motorcycles and helped raise money during the event.
Ed Aulman, the former director of the Veterans Service Agency of Nassau County, was given a special award. The Lions Club’s proceeds from that event – $5,500 to the National Amputation Foundation and $12,000 to America’s VetDogs—gave the club the opportunity to name two dogs, Merrick and Leo.
“I think [the dogs] provide mental support whether you have a mental injury or physical injury,” Harvey Naranjo, the director of the program overseeing guide dogs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said in a video on the Purple Heart Pups Facebook page. “Just getting out and walking the dog is therapy in itself. You get time for yourself. You get to do something that’s healthy.”
“Soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices,” said Lisa Siano, the Merrick Lions Club member who is leading the Purple Heart Pups effort. “This is a way we can help them, when they come home with profound injuries, to reclaim their lives and make the transition from soldier to civilian. You don’t need to have a veteran in your family to understand the trauma people go through returning with injuries.”
The public tends to believe that the government provides soldiers with everything they need upon returning home. Yet, while the government does give them the necessary medical care, it is groups such as Purple Heart Pups that can contribute to the emotional aspect of veterans’ recovery from war.
Each dog costs $55,000, which covers veterinarian bills, training, transportation, housing and food. Money needs to be raised so that veterans have to pay nothing for their companionship with a dog. The beneficiaries will be soldiers not just from the local area but from all over the country.
The walk is looking to draw students from local schools, and all school community service groups are encouraged to participate. The Lions Club will be distributing brochures to families at the Merrick Little League’s photo day.
To register for the walk, and to enter your dog in the contest, please visit www.purpleheartpups.org.
