It was a gorgeous day March 3 down by the waterfront in St. Petersburg when people gathered for the 26^th Annual Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon. The site was laid out with a variety of activities for the whole family – there were three giant bounce houses/slides for the kids, food trucks with delicious fare, dog massage, and a giant tent that housed both of Southeastern’s gift shops.

By dinner the day got even better with volunteer awards and a big surprise for Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The walk was led by Petey, the First Pup of St. Petersburg, and Miss St. Pete.  The line of walkers seemed never-ending as they made their way along the 3K walk. Many different breeds of dog were in attendance from Great Pyrenees to teacup Pomeranians, all out to enjoy the day.

Saturday night the Walkathon Celebration Dinner took place at the Museum of Fine Arts. The evening included a tour of the galleries, a delicious dinner and a keynote speech by Russell Rhodes of Fox 13. This stunning venue was the perfect backdrop for the announcement of year-end awards. Volunteers of the Year are Nancy & George Cottrell; Puppy Raiser of the Year is Ellen Cox; Graduates of the Year are Dulce Muccio Weisenborn and Ann Humphries; and Philanthropists of the Year are Margaret and Isaac Barpal. 

The Barpal’s surprised everyone by announcing an additional large pledge toward a stand-alone veterinary clinic for campus, bringing that dream ever closer to reality. CEO Titus Herman also announced the results for the Waalkathon: 4,000 walkers and an expected total of $450,000 raised so Southeastern Guide Dogs may continue its mission!

A giant THANK YOU goes out to everyone who had a hand in making Walkathon such a rousing success!