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Revelstoke teacher running to raise money for PADS

PADS trains assistance dogs like RSS’ Brushy
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Dana Reaume is running 1 km for every $10 raised for the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society. Reaume works with Brushy at Revelstoke Secondary School. (Jocelyn Doll/Revelstoke Review)

Dana Reaume is running so that others will experience the magic of an assistance dog.

The Pacific Assistance Dogs Society is currently hosting a fundraiser where participants do a physical activity, such as running, and collect donations for the society.

Reaume is running one kilometre for every $10 donation. So far she has raised $655.

Lauren Calancie, another participant, is cycling from Burnaby to Calgary and has raised almost $13,000 so far. She and her support driver stopped in Revelstoke and camped in Reaume’s driveway.

They were like long lost friends, said Reaume.

READ MORE: Okanagan woman on multi-day bike trek for PADS makes Vernon stop

Reaume was partnered yellow lab Brushy almost seven years ago. Together they bring down the stress level of high school students in Revelstoke.

Reaume said getting a PADS dog was like joining a family.

“We are all pretty rad people doing a good thing for rad dogs and kids,” she said.

Brushy doesn’t usually join Reaume on her runs, perhaps on cooler days for a kilometer or two, but Brushy is a lover not a runner, Reaume said with a laugh.

READ MORE: Bringing a little bit of magic to Revelstoke Secondary School

The society hopes to raise $100,000, so far they have raised just over half of their goal. It costs between $30,000 and $40,000 to raise and train an assistance dog. The dogs go on to help people living with disabilities as well as community care professionals, working everywhere from classrooms to courtrooms.

It is a new event this year as many of the society’s event-based fundraisers have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

The fundraiser runs from Aug. 13 to Sept. 19, 2020. To make a donation Brushy and Dana’s team go to canadahelps.org/en/charities/padsdogs/p2p/move/


 

@JDoll_Revy
jocelyn.doll@revelstokereview.com

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