2015 Spring Newsletter PDF - Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation

Spring 2015
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.
www.fidelco.org
Spring 2015
In this Issue
3
Client Story: Karen Petrou and “Zuni”
5
“The Heart of Leadership”
6
Thank You for Sharing the Vision
7
Recent Additions to Fidelco Board of Directors
8
Ride for Independence: July 2015
9
A Legacy Gift Today Changes Lives Tomorrow
10 Dog Days of Summer Children’s Program
11 Volunteer Spotlight
12 Annual Open House: May 2015
The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in
Bloomfield, CT. Fidelco is an internationally accredited organization and
an admired expert throughout the world for its highly valued German
Shepherd Guide Dogs.
Each Fidelco Guide Dog takes two years, 15,000 hands-on hours
and $45,000 to produce. They are given to clients at no cost. Fidelco
provides 24/7 client support for the entire working life of its guide dogs
– typically 10 years. Fidelco relies solely on the generosity and financial
support of individuals, foundations, corporations and civic organizations
to help Share the Vision®.
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.
103 Vision Way
Bloomfield, CT 06002
(860) 243-5200
www.fidelco.org
Graphic Designer: Kristine Fletcher
Contributing Writers: Susan Campbell, Marimer Matos
Cover Story Photography: Jim Darling Photography
Fidelco has trained and placed over 1,400 German Shepherd Guide
Dogs throughout North America – in 41 states and five Canadian
provinces. Fidelco pioneered In-Community Placement in the United
States — a process that allows all guide dog users to be trained in the
communities where they live and work.
Donations to Fidelco are deductible as charitable contributions on
a donor’s federal income tax return. Please consult your tax advisor
for specific details.
Fidelco also has placed hundreds of its German Shepherd Dogs with
law enforcement agencies, first responders, search and rescue, and
missing child recovery organizations to help protect our fellow citizens
and keep our communities safe.
© 2015 All rights reserved. Reproduction or other use, in
whole or in part, without written permission is prohibited.
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
Do you know someone who is blind and is interested in applying for a
guide dog? Contact Fidelco at 860-243-5200 or [email protected].
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
Winter into Spring
B
lindness does not take a day
off and neither does Fidelco.
And this winter’s record-setting
snowfall in New England certainly
tested everyone’s resolve. But
it did not diminish our efforts or
our successes.
Everyone in our community pitched in to help
keep Fidelco moving forward. Fidelco guide dog
trainers and apprentices bundled up to brave the
frigid weather and ensure uninterrupted guide
dog training – we have blind clients ready for
placements. Volunteer dog walkers worked in
the early winter darkness and on frigid weekends
– “cabin fever” is not limited to children. Volunteer
Puppy Raisers happily took home new pups to
face the unique challenges that a prolonged winter
presents – it’s just what we do.
Fidelco’s 24/7 work life – and its lifeline to our
blind clients – is made possible by the significant
generosity of Fidelco’s donors and financial
sponsors. Thank you for forever changing the
lives of men and women who are blind by helping
Fidelco breed, train and place its prized German
Shepherd Guide Dogs.
Clients like Brian Brown who solo hiked the
Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine last
summer with his Fidelco German Shepherd
10 per flag
$
To purchase, visit www.fidelco.org
Guide Dog, “Oscar,” faithfully leading the way. Brian
credits Oscar’s help with safely navigating a path
that, in his words, is “ ...2,200 miles long and, on
the best days, only 18 inches wide.”
“It is one of the
most beautiful compensations in life,
that no man can sincerely help another
without helping himself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fidelco’s continued success is only possible with
your continued financial support. It is the lifeblood
that fuels our life-changing organization. 2015 is
off to a very good start. Fidelco’s 645th litter – U26
whelped in January – led by “Usher” is on its way
to helping a future client in 2017.
American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “It is
one of the most beautiful compensations in life,
that no man can sincerely help another without
helping himself.”
With more future guide dog puppies on the way,
please help Fidelco with your continuing financial
support. Please help Fidelco to Share the Vision®.
Eliot D. Russman
CEO and Executive Director
Fidelco’s 2015 Field of Flags will be
displayed at the 5th Annual Ride for
Independence on Sunday, July 19, 2015.
Honor the heroes in your life: those who
are living, and those who have made the
ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom
and independence.
Please join this heartfelt tribute.
2
COVER STORY
Client Story: Karen Petrou and “Zuni”
Karen Shaw Petrou is a powerhouse in the
power center of America. She is co-founder
and managing partner of Federal Financial
Analytics, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm
specializing in domestic and international
financial services regulation.
What makes Karen’s success story even more
fascinating is that, in an industry dependent
on dense research reports, detailed data
charts and colorful graphs, Karen has been
progressively losing her eyesight to the inherited
disease known as Usher 2A.
It’s not unusual to see Karen moving swiftly
through the halls of Congress or attending
meetings at the White House. She is a force
to be reckoned with—American Banker described
Karen as the “sharpest mind analyzing banking
policy today – maybe ever...”
Rarely limited by her blindness, Karen has
provided expert testimony before Congressional
committees at least a dozen times and has
authored over 100 articles on the global banking
system. She is a regularly featured speaker
at banking and financial services conferences.
Karen credits her two Fidelco German Shepherd
Guide Dogs – first “Ori” and now “Zuni” – as the
keys to her successful and fast-paced travels
throughout Washington and all across America.
According to Karen “…Fidelco [guide] dogs have
made a tremendous difference in my life.”
Diagnosed at 18 years old and told that she
would be blind by 25, Karen forged a life of
accomplishments. Following her lifelong love of
ballet, Karen was a member of the studio group
supporting the renowned Alvin Ailey Dance
Company. After graduating from Wellesley College,
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the
University of California at Berkley, Karen worked
in banking and traveled with a white cane but the
pace was just too slow for her. She researched
guide dog organizations and identified Fidelco as
the best fit with its In-Community Training method.
Karen and “Zuni” in the lobby of Federal Financial Analytics
in Washington, DC.
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
Because of Karen’s respect for Fidelco’s mission
and the profound contributions that Ori and Zuni
have made to her career and life, Karen recently
joined Fidelco’s Board of Directors. “I’m excited to
be part of Fidelco’s mission. I am very grateful to
Fidelco for the training and love that goes into
raising guide dogs. It’s really heroic.”
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
“
“
4
MetroHartford Alliance, Aetna and Fidelco Host
“The Heart of Leadership”
Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini recently
spoke on the topic of leadership at an event hosted
by the MetroHartford Alliance, Aetna and Fidelco.
Bertolini was joined by Navy Lt. Brad Snyder (Ret),
who suffered a blinding battlefield explosion while
serving in Afghanistan in 2011.
“Mutual respect is the biggest
motivator you can find.”
Mark Bertolini, Chairman and CEO, Aetna
The conversation focused
on what these two individuals
have in common when it comes to
taking bold action and overcoming
business and personal challenges.
“Leadership is about being
selfless, compassionate and
authentic,” Bertolini said. Snyder
echoed that feeling, noting that
“the most sustainable way to
lead people is through
compassion and respect.”
A member of the Fidelco
Board of Directors, Bertolini
is partially disabled as the
result of a 2004 skiing accident.
His personal experiences with
the health care system have
inspired a lifelong dedication to
improving the patient experience
and addressing longstanding
challenges of the U.S. health
care system.
Pictured l-r: Fidelco CEO Eliot Russman; Mark Bertolini; Moderator Kara Sundlun,
WFSB TV-3; Fidelco client Lt. Brad Snyder (Ret) with Fidelco Guide Dog “Gizzy;”
MetroHartford Alliance President and CEO Oz Griebel.
Exactly one year after his devastating accident, Lt.
Snyder won a gold medal in swimming at the London
2012 Paralympic Games. Just for good measure, he
added another gold medal and a silver medal in
London and has won multiple gold medals at other
international competitions over the past two years.
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
“Looking back on my career,
it’s compassionate leadership
that led me to success in combat;
it was compassionate leadership
that allowed me to negotiate
challenges in my life.”
Fidelco Client Lt. Bradley Snyder, USN (Ret)
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
Thank You for Sharing the Vision
The Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation
provided a $50,000 grant to support the 2014 Fidelco Guide
Dog Foundation Partnership Program. Foundation President
Marion L. Barrak and her husband, Bechara Barrak, M.D.,
are shown with Fidelco CEO Eliot Russman and Navy Lt.
Brad Synder (Ret) with his Fidelco Guide Dog, “Gizzy.”
The Norma F. Pfriem Foundation
awarded $1,000,000 in support
of Fidelco’s life-changing mission.
Ms. Pfriem and the Pfriem
Foundation have donated to
Fidelco since 1992 for important
projects such as the Successor
Client Guide Dog Program.
Pictured at the ACLI’s Capital Challenge Run in Washington D.C. are (l-r) Fidelco
staff Brodie Dodd, Database Manager, and Tommy Mourad, Director of Guide Dog
Training Operations; Fidelco client SSgt Michael Malarsie, USAF (Ret); ACLI
president and CEO, Honorable Dirk Kempthorne.
For the third consecutive year,
the American Council of Life
Insurers (ACLI) is providing
$45,000 to fund the placement
of a Fidelco German Shepherd
Guide Dog with a blinded
American military hero. The
generosity of ACLI and its
member companies will
enable Fidelco to provide
industry-leading guide dogs
to our nation’s blinded military
heroes who have sacrificed
so much for all of us.
6
Recent Additions to Fidelco Board of Directors
Charles W. Shivery is the former Chairman, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Northeast Utilities (NYSE:NU).
Upon completion of its merger with NSTAR in 2012, he served
as non-executive Chairman of the Board until October 2013.
Mr. Shivery served on the Connecticut Governor’s
Competitiveness Council. He has also served as a director
on many corporate, association and nonprofit boards of
directors including Webster Bank, Connecticut Business and
Industry Association, The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts,
Connecticut Science Center, Connecticut Children’s Medical
Center, MetroHartford Alliance and University of Connecticut
Health Center.
A native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Mr. Shivery holds
a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Engineering
Science degree from The Johns Hopkins University. He earned
a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of
Baltimore. Mr. Shivery served for four years in the U.S. Navy.
Chuck and his wife, Chris, live in Avon, CT.
Karen Shaw Petrou is the co-founder and Managing Partner
of Federal Financial Analytics, Inc., a privately-held company that,
since 1985, has provided analytical and advisory services on
legislative, regulatory and public-policy issues affecting financial
services companies doing business in the U.S. and abroad.
A Fidelco client, now with her second Fidelco Guide Dog (see
story, page 3), Karen says, “I bear witness to the benefits of using
a well-trained Fidelco Guide Dog to ensure continued mobility
and independence. My experience on both publicly-traded and
non-profit boards has made me keenly aware of the duty a board
member owes to stakeholders – in Fidelco’s case, employees,
donors, clients, and – yes – the dogs, from start to finish. I am
deeply impressed by the substantive improvements made at
Fidelco in its corporate governance in recent years and thus look
forward also to supporting this terrific work.”
Karen and her husband, Basil, live in Washington, DC.
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
Register
th and
by July 4
get a FREE
rt!
Ride t-shi
8
A Legacy Gift Today Changes Lives Tomorrow
O
perating a farm means working 365 days
a year – milking the cows, planting corn,
haying and numerous other tasks. There is little
or no vacation time.
Henry and Eleanora Leonard worked hard every
day of their lives as the owners and operators of
the Leonard Dairy Farm in Wethersfield, CT.
Over the years, the Leonards were regular
supporters of Fidelco. Their three-ring log books
noted monthly entries for gifts to Fidelco, many
given “in memory of our animals.” When Eleanora
passed away in 2004, Henry continued donating
to Fidelco.
Henry supported Fidelco for 20+ years, but
it wasn’t until 2008 that he visited Fidelco’s
Bloomfield campus. Although in a wheelchair,
Henry toured the entire facility, including joyous
time with a litter of puppies just beginning their
two-year journey to becoming guide dogs. His
life-long love of animals was evident as he held
the youngest pups in his arms. Henry also met
a trained Fidelco Guide Dog who had just been
matched with a blind client.
It pleased Henry to witness first-hand how his
contributions were creating life-changing Fidelco
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
Guide Dog partnerships. He understood that,
like farming, blindness doesn’t take a day off and
neither does Fidelco’s staff. Fidelco appreciated
the opportunity to personally thank him for the
Leonard’s long-time interest and support.
Henry passed away in 2011 and Fidelco
was notified that he and Eleanora had left
a substantial bequest to Fidelco. His financial
advisor, who had visited Fidelco with Henry,
noted “I know [the Leonards] would be extremely
pleased to see the good that has come from their
generous donation and would encourage others
to do the same.”
If you are considering a special gift to Fidelco –
perhaps a legacy gift or a unique gift during
your lifetime – and you have never visited
Fidelco, please contact us today. Let us show
you how your gifts are life-changing for men
and women who are blind and who partner
with Fidelco Guide Dogs. And, most importantly,
let us personally thank you for helping Fidelco
continue to Share the Vision®.
Contact Doug Nelson, Vice President,
Director of Development at 860-243-4050
or [email protected].
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
2015
Dog Days of Summer
Children’s Program
Fidelco’s hands-on summer
program for kids is designed for
the dog lover! Children ages 8-12
learn about guide dogs and the
amazing partnership with men
and women who are blind.
Children also learn about puppy
raising, basic dog training, health
care, grooming and first aid.
For registration info, visit www.fidelco.org.
2015 Sessions
Morning or afternoon
June 22–June 26
June 29–July 3
July 6–July 10
July 13–July 17
July 20–July 24
July 27–July 31
August 3–August 7
10
Volunteer Spotlight
Kitty and Jim Vangunten
Volunteers give freely of their time and often their money, to
support a nonprofit organization and its mission. A stellar
example of this “can do” spirit is the Vangunten team.
Kitty and Jim’s association with Fidelco began in the early
1990’s when Kitty, while in downtown Hartford, passed by
a group of Fidelco trainers and dogs. Intrigued, she brought
home information about Fidelco and shared it with Jim.
Having had dogs all his life, Jim was on-board and applied
to become a Volunteer Puppy Raiser. Their partnership
with Fidelco was born. “Freia” was the first of 14 German
Shepherd pups that the Vangunten’s have lovingly raised.
Kitty and Jim’s support for Fidelco also means that they
can always be counted on to do whatever is asked of them.
Kitty makes and embroiders the red coats worn by our young
pups in public and by the Fidelco stuffed puppies sold at
fundraisers; Jim volunteers at Fidelco events, too. Both are
among the regular attendees at almost every Fidelco event.
With volunteer supporters like the Vangunten’s, Fidelco has
a bright future and will continue to fulfill its critical mission.
Kitty and Jim with their current puppy, “Argus.”
Golf “Fore” Fidelco at these Charity Tournaments
May 12, 2015
South Windsor Lions Club
33rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Blackledge Country Club–Hebron, CT
Info: Sue Burnham 860-644-8332
June 1, 2015
June 11 & 12, 2015
Allied Printing Services Charitable Foundation
8th Annual Memorial Golf Tournament
Topstone Golf Course–South Windsor, CT
Info: Tiffany Hamm 860-643-1101
www.birdeasepro.com/alliedfoundation
Lions Club of New Haven
37th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Grassy Knoll Country Club–Orange, CT
Info: Alan Bennett 203-430-6665
Pledge “Fore” Fidelco with Birdies for Charity, a pledge-based fundraiser,
based upon the number of birdies made during the 2015 Travelers Championship,
June 22-28, 2015. Similar to a walk-a-thon, donors pledge per birdie made.
For example: If 1,500 birdies are made: 1 cent = $15; 10 cents =$150; $1.00 = $1,500
Visit www.fidelco.org/birdies-for-charity and make your pledge today!
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
Open House & Family Fun Day
Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Fidelco Campus, Bloomfield, CT
Enjoy a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities at Connecticut’s own guide dog organization.
Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of a Fidelco Guide Dog from “pup to partner,”
featuring campus tours, puppy playtime, demonstrations and the ever-popular blindfold walks
with professional Fidelco Certified Trainers and Guide Dogs.
Directions to Fidelco at www.fidelco.org.
12
Optician Celebrates 125th Anniversary
Harvey & Lewis Opticians, a fourth generation family business based
in Hartford, CT, is celebrating its 125th anniversary and is helping
Fidelco in 2015!
Throughout the year, all proceeds from the sales of their eye glass cleaner,
tissues, microfiber cloth and Fidelco stuffed puppies will go directly to
Harvey & Lewis’ goal of raising $45,000 to place a Fidelco Guide Dog with
a man or woman who is blind. Harvey & Lewis Opticians has 9 locations
throughout Connecticut. www.harveyandlewisopticians.com
Book Fundraisers Benefit Fidelco
The First Town Veterinary Science 4-H Club, founded by
co-leader Dr. Larry Pennington, DVM, held a successful
used book fundraiser sale to benefit Fidelco last fall.
The club, comprised of 50 children ages 8-19, will be
offering another used book fundraiser at Fidelco’s Open
House on May 2nd.
Club members learn about veterinary science through
hands-on activities, projects, field trips and community
service activities. Fidelco hosts their monthly meetings.
Monthly Giving: Makes a lot of “Cents”
Blindness doesn’t take a day off – and neither
does Fidelco. Knowing there are people waiting
for their Fidelco Guide Dog partners, won’t you
consider becoming a monthly donor today?
SIGN UP TODAY
with one of three convenient options:
Online: set up a recurring gift securely
at www.fidelco.org
Automatic Credit Card Payment:
pre-authorized charge to your Visa,
MasterCard, Amex or Discover card
Fidelco’s monthly donor program is both
convenient and cost effective for you and
for Fidelco. Your gifts, in any amount, provide
a predictable stream of revenue that Fidelco
can count on – just as our blind clients count on
Fidelco to be there for them every day of the year.
FidelcoNews Spring 2015
Electronic Funds Transfer:
pre-authorized withdrawals from your
checking account
Best of all, it means that, together, we will change
the lives of more men and women who are blind.
To learn more, contact Susan Greer at
860-243-4043 or email [email protected].
Donate securely at www.fidelco.org
Proud Supporters of Fidelco
www.middlesexeye.com
Offices in Connecticut
Middletown (860) 347-7466
Westbrook (860) 669-5305
East Hampton (860) 295-6440
14
103 Vision Way
Bloomfield, CT 06002
www.fidelco.org
JOIN US!
Saturday, May 2
Open House &
Family Fun Day
June 22 – August 7
“Dog Days of Summer”
Children’s Program
Sunday, July 19
5th Annual
Ride for Independence