Guide Dogs for the Blind Fun Day 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our fin-tastic Under the Sea-themed 2024 Fun Day celebrations! We loved seeing you in person and celebrating all that you do for the GDB community. If you weren't able to join us in person, we hope that you have the chance to tune into our closing ceremonies and puppy deliveries from each campus. Below you'll find both videos as well as a link to photos from each day of the celebration.
Don't forget to visit our online store to take advantage of our super summertime sales and to see the newest GDB exclusive gear to enjoy all year long.
Oregon Fun Day - July 20, 2024
California Fun Day - July 13, 2024
Fun Day Video
Check out this video recap of the 2024 Fun Days!
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
Who is ready for some fun in the sun?
At Guide Dogs for the Blind, we soak up the fun at our annual Fun Days!
I mean, check out this family and puppy wearing "Finding Nemo" costumes!
Here's GDB's Puppy Raising Engagement Manager, Summer McCormick. She's going to dive in and tell you all about it!
[SUMMER]
We host Fun Days on both of our campuses. It is a day of recognition for our puppy raising volunteers. It's a day of food, fun, celebration. This year's theme is "Under the Sea." Think dolphins, sharks, anemones - you name it.
[NARRATOR]
Whoa! There's two people in shark costumes with a puppy on a surfboard!
And a pup in a seaweed costume, and another dressed as Neptune, God of the Sea! This is fun!
[SUMMER]
We have educational activities...
[NARRATOR]
Look! Two more sharks!
[SUMMER]
...and various booths put on by our different departments.
[NARRATOR]
Check out this booth decorated with sea creature tentacles and underwater treasure!
Is that a person in a crab costume? And I think I spot the Little Mermaid! Best day ever!
Let's hear from two of our volunteers.
[CALLEY]
Hi, I'm Calley, and I'm from the Seattle puppy raising club for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
[EDDIE]
And my name is Eddie, from the same club.
[CALLEY]
This is Warrick, and he is about six and a half months old. He is a cross between a lab and a Golden, and he's a very good boy. This is our first Fun Day. We've never been to the campus before, so it's really exciting for us. I have really enjoyed getting to see the veterinary clinic at Fun Day.
[NARRATOR]
Let's take a walk through GDB's Oregon veterinary clinic that is decorated like a tropical aquarium.
[CALLEY]
I think it's really important for us as puppy raisers to get to come to the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus and understand exactly what goes into the care - and especially the medical care - of our dogs, because they're very special and we want to take good care of them.
[MUSIC]
[EDDIE]
I think my favorite part of Fun Day is getting connected to the larger Guide Dogs for the Blind community. I think it's fun to see how many dogs are out there in all the states. I think it's really cool to see us all together in one place.
[NARRATOR]
Wow! That is a big lineup of people holding baby puppies!
[CALLEY]
But I think Warwick's favorite part has been the littermate meetup and the playing in the water.
[NARRATOR]
Warrick sure is having a fun day!
Now let's hear from a GDB client, Ava, with her guide dog, Cheddar.
[AVA]
I want to say thank you to Cheddar's puppy raisers. I am not sure if they know how much he has changed my life on a day-to-day basis, but he has.
I'm a college student, and so he helps me navigate my college campus every single day. And he's also acted as quite the social bridge when it comes to me forming relationships.
It's no longer just Ava, it's Ava and Cheddar.
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
Ava and Cheddar sure do know how to have fun too! They lead a parade of people and dogs wearing Under the Sea-themed costumes past a garden spot full of colorful balloons and giant letters that spell "GDB."
[MUSIC]
[NARRATOR]
To learn more about volunteer puppy raising at Guide Dogs for the Blind, visit guidedogs.com/puppy, or scan the QR code.
[MUSIC]