On Friday 22nd May our branch celebrated another Guide Dog Day, and this year was extra special as it was The Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind 50th birthday! We kicked off celebrations with a merchandise sale on Friday in Millfield Shopping Centre in Balbriggan, where a fantastic sum of €915.56 was raised and another merchandise sale in SuperValu, Balbriggan on Saturday and raised another fantastic sum of €698.69. On both days we sold raffle tickets for €5 giving a chance to win a €5,000 holiday voucher along with guide dog cuddly toys and pens, to name but a few. Also, on Friday at Millfield Shopping Centre there was a gathering of guide dogs with Guide Dog Qeb, Assistance Dog Gigi, Ambassador Dogs Cassie and Adel in attendance much to the joy of passer-by’s who stopped to say hello to our fury friends.

As part of the Guide Dog Day celebrations Tom O’Neill and guide dog Qeb joined Buoin Peadar agus Pol Brigins and Guides for a sponsored walk where great fun was had by all. A fantastic few days of celebrations was had, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported our branch over that weekend and who continue to support us every day.

As a lot of you would know, our next fundraiser after Guide Dog Day would normally be the Balbriggan Summer Festival over the June bank holiday weekend, however the festival didn’t happen this year. If anybody knows of a festival or any event anywhere in the North County that our branch could have a merchandise stand at anytime in the summer months so we could make up for lost funds due to the festival not taking place, please get in contact on the details below.

You can contact Balbriggan/North County Dublin Branch of Irish Guide Dogs by phone/text 0876489479, email: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Balbriggan Branch of Guide Dogs.