Southeastern Guide Dogs will host annual walkathon at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota

Walking your dog never had so much meaning.

People are encouraged to bring their canine pets March 5 to Nathan Benderson Park of Sarasota to participate in a fundraiser for Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon is a 3K stroll around the park followed by the "Waggin' Tails Festival" that includes music, food, vendors and a raffle. 

Vendors will be selling water bowls, toys and dog-friendly items.

“It’s a fun day for everyone to come get their morning exercise,  and get their dogs exercise, too,” said Mallory Page, a philanthropy associate with Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The walkathon, which is Southeastern Guide Dogs’ biggest fundraiser of the year, was held for the first time in 1987 at the Manatee County Fairgrounds in Palmetto. Since 2016, the nonprofit’s goal has been to raise $1 million to support its mission of raising and matching guide and service dogs with people with visual impairments, veterans and children.

“It’s just a fun time,” Page said .”There’s music, there’s food and everyone’s just enjoying what they’ve raised. Even if you donate $1 that day or just come and see what we’re all about, you can go home knowing you were able to contribute to something bigger than just a Saturday morning at Nathan Benderson Park.”

Graduates of Southeastern Guide Dogs attend the walkathon giving people who raised money for the nonprofit an opportunity to see where exactly their money goes. 

“That makes us pretty unique because it’s not cancer research and it’s not the Red Cross, not that those aren’t important, but you see how it impacts the community,” Page said. “You see people tear up knowing where their money is going. I think that adds value to our continuing supporters.”

This year’s walkathon will return as an in-person event after Southeastern Guide Dogs had to make the walkathon virtual last year due to the pandemic.

Having the walkathon in-person allows Southeastern Guide Dogs to connect more with the community and gives people a chance to learn more about the nonprofit. 

As more people learn about the nonprofit, Page said more people are willing to volunteer for Southeastern Guide Dogs whether it’s helping at an event, volunteering on campus or becoming a puppy-raiser, puppy-sitter or puppy-starter. 

Puppy-raisers care for the puppies when they’re 8 to 12 weeks old for 12-16 months. Sitters are available to take care of the puppies when the puppy-raisers need to go away, and puppy-starters care for puppies for a few months because they are matched with a puppy-raiser to begin training. 

Southeastern Guide Dogs also will have National Walkathon Day April 30 that will be streamed nationwide across the nonprofit’s social media platforms. A $10,000 raffle drawing will take place during the event.