Guiding Through Electric Lights in Temecula Parade

By: Juliet Cody and Peter Mansell - Presidents of GDB's San Diego Alumni Chapter

Puppy raisers from Temecula, CA, Kevin and Cathy Capone, last year arranged for the puppy raising groups in Southern California to participate in Temecula’s Electric Light Parade. The Capones have access to provide a parade float, which last year all puppy raisers helped to decorate and it was beautiful. Everyone marched, and the parade was a success. However afterward, they all felt that something was missing. This year, when planning the parade they came to the conclusion that it was us, the guides and their handlers, that were missing in the parade. They agreed that displaying the cute puppies to promote GDB was good: but better yet, showing off the cute dog handlers with our well-trained guide dogs guiding would make it spectacular! We got a call from Pat Salzarulo, a puppy raiser in San Diego, inviting all of our alumni chapter teams to the parade. It didn’t take long for the invitation to get around, and it took even less time for the handlers and their guide dogs to get excited!

The evening of the parade was bitter cold and perfect to match our theme. The GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND sign glowed and put the spotlight on our message.

 

The puppy raisers received us at the staging point with sandwiches, chips, cookies and drinks. Most of us had never met before, but when the night was over we were a family.

 

Photo descriptions: 1) Puppy raisers and GDB graduates ride on the float together with their puppies and dogs 2) Sign reads on truck with GDB logo: Volunteer Puppy Raisers - Southern CA. "Raise a puppy...change a life." 3) Big group shot made up of puppy raisers with their puppies and GDB graduates with their guide dogs.