Our national fundraiser, ‘Guide Dog Day’, is the 7th May.Unfortunately unless Government restrictions allow we will not be out in the community fundraising, however there are many ways you can support us.This year’s theme is ‘#100K4GDD’.Would you run, walk or swim 100km during the month of May and raise funds for Guide Dogs? You can sign up as an individual or join a team by visiting guidedogs.ie The first 3,000 people to register will get a free T-shirt and Doggy Bandana and there are lots of prizes too.If you would like a sponsorship card please contact us by email guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com or phone/text 0857663107.Visit Specsavers in Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan and donate €3 using our Tap to Donate machine or donate via Facebook at facebook.com/Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs. On the 13th April Yarrow left puppy raiser Anne Mulligan and went to HQ in Cork for training to become an Assistance Dog.One of the many happy memories Anne shared with us about her 18 months with Yarrow was when they were walking in Balbriggan on a sunny day and Anne was asked if she needed help crossing the road. Anne was wearing dark sunglasses at the time and the person thought she was blind. We will all miss Yarrow, especially Anne, and wish him ‘Good Luck’ in his training and future life as an Assistance Dog.Looking back to the 1980s, Issue 10 of Guidelines, the newsletter, of then called ‘Irish Guide Dogs Association’, featured ‘The Beginning of the Balbriggan Branch’ by Tom O’Neill Chairman.Tom qualified with his first Guide Dog Frank, a black Labrador in 1985, and returned to Balbriggan which at the time had a population of about 8,000.Tom found out that there were no branches of the association in the North Dublin area so he and his wife Breege formed the branch ‘if only to show the local people what a Guide Dog could do for a visually impaired person’.In 1987 £3,500 was raised and the branch continues today with the help of our loyal supporters and volunteers.