Group donates to Service Dogs

The North Dakota Grand Chapter of Eastern Stars donated $6,700 to Service Dogs for America, Jud, N.D.

The Eastern Stars held its annual convention June 7-9 at the Seven Seas Hotel in Mandan, where the presentation was made. One of the organization’s 2012 projects was Service Dogs for America.

Sandy Sherlock, a 2008 recipient of a service dog from Service Dogs for America, spoke at the convention in 2011, telling how the dog changed her life.

Eastern Star members raised the money donated through jeans day, bake sales, the ES membership fund, and even went on the radio. From that, one individual from the Bismarck/Mandan area made a large donation, as well.

Worthy Grand Matron Hazel Bless and Worthy Grand Patron Martin Bless presented Shelley Nannenga, development director for Service Dogs for America, the check. The Blesses said more funds will be coming.

“Your dedication to charity, truth and loving kindness will empower the individuals we serve, and the dogs we train,” Nannenga said, in accepting the donation.

Service Dogs for America is located 32 miles south of Jamestown, in Jud. It began training service dogs 23 years ago. Ed Duden donated the land where the campus is located. The Lions and many other individuals have made it possible for the organization to thrive. Emergency medical response dogs provide appropriate alerting behaviors; most common are seizures and diabetes. They also train dogs for wounded warriors” PTSD and injured vets from war, mobility- those in a wheelchair, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, autism and therapeutic. SDA’s mission is to assist an individual by the use of a trained service dog without excessive financial burden. The focus of the program is human service; the beneficiaries are the individuals receiving a service dog.

For more information, go to www.greatplainsdogs. com.

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