We were thrilled to have an opportunity to spend a celebratory “A Day in the Glade” with our estate donors, whose positive impact continues to multiply with over 350 committed estate gifts and counting! As “Guardians” of our mission, they have chosen to make the Search Dog Foundation part of their legacy by dedicating a portion of their estate to SDF, thereby ensuring our life-saving work can continue into the future.
The day began with a “yappy hour” on our showgrounds for guests to enjoy light snacks while mingling with fellow community members and meeting some of the dogs from our various programs. Following this get-together, SDF Founder and estate donor herself, Wilma Melville, along with CEO George Haynes, shared updates on our programs and spoke about the importance of this group’s role in our mission. Estate donors help carry SDF into the future, as the majority of estate gifts, unless otherwise restricted, contribute to our endowment fund, enabling SDF to diversify our revenue, stabilize income and expand our programs when needed.
The program update was followed by a rubble search demonstration from a few of our search candidates and graduates. Guests watched as dogs showed off their skills from all levels of training, from sophomore search dog candidate, Mac, to search dog graduate Reva and her handler partner, Garreth Miller.
After the excitement of the search demonstrations, guests moved on to our Guardian Glade, a serene retreat in the lower tier of our campus dedicated to our “Guardians” and their meaningful decision to add SDF to their estate plans. Here, guests located their personalized tiles affixed to our Guardian Glade wall, a reminder to all who visit of their thoughtful commitment to training the search dogs of tomorrow.
Overall, it was a beautiful day and a wonderful reminder of how SDF is a community comprised of generous individuals – both two and four-legged – who share a common vision. We are grateful for the many ways our SDF family shows support and thank all who help ensure that we can continue building on our mission for years to come.