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Winter 2013-2014 | Volume 79, Number 3
The Seeing Eye
®
GUIDE
A MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS OF THE SEEING EYE
INSIDE:
Celebrating 85 Years!
CONTENTS
The Seeing Eye
®
Winter 2013-2014 | Volume 79, Number 3
1 Letters to The Seeing Eye
2 First Class
GUIDE
A MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS OF THE SEEING EYE
Celebrating 85 Years!
4 Thank You, Volunteers
6 Donor Profile
Gordon and Thelma Hill
7 Puppy Raisers
A Selfless Act of Love
8 News Highlights
ON THE COVER:
The first graduating class of
The Seeing Eye, which began
in Nashville, Tennessee, on
February 2, 1929. From left:
Instructor Jack Humphrey;
student Dr. Raymond Harris with
Tartar; instructor Adelaide Clifford;
student Dr. Howard Buchanan with
Gala; and instructor Willi Ebeling.
A Seeing Eye Perspective
In 1929 in Nashville, chicken was selling for 42 cents a pound,
a half-gallon of milk could be had for 28 cents, and a cup of
coffee cost a nickel. The city’s streets were teeming not only with
Model A Fords but also with horse-drawn carts and electric
streetcars. Men wore suits and women wore dresses, and
everyone wore hats. It was a very different time.
And there was one sight that was new at the time but is quite
familiar now – blind men and women being guided by Seeing Eye® dogs.
It was 85 years ago that The Seeing Eye was founded in Nashville, Tennessee. Morris Frank,
the first man to be teamed with a Seeing Eye dog, had to travel to Dorothy Harrison Eustis’s
dog training facility in Switzerland to be matched with Buddy and to be trained in how to
work with a guide dog. He promised Dorothy that he’d return to America and start a school
here, to give other people the same independence that he now enjoyed with Buddy.
And on January 29, 1929, he kept that promise as The Seeing Eye, Inc., opened for business.
A few days later, the first two students began their training with instructors Jack Humphrey,
Adelaide Clifford, and Willi Ebeling. The 21-year-old Morris Frank was managing director.
Much has changed over the last 85 years. We’ve innovated in ways that our founders could
have only imagined – advances in genetics and screening to all but eliminate hip dysplasia,
megaesophagus, and progressive retinal atrophy in our breeding stock; the use of new
methods such as clicker training to teach dogs to “nose” a door knob or pedestrian crossing
button; and moved from a $15 a month rented office to a beautiful 60-acre campus in
Morristown, New Jersey, with a newly renovated Main House and its own American Animal
Hospital Association-accredited canine hospital.
But we’re still following the same advice that our instructors offered those first students: Praise
your dog, trust your dog, and love your dog!
The Seeing Eye dog of today is a much different animal than what we used in 1929. Our
dogs in 1929 were wonderful dogs, renowned for their intelligence, loyalty, and gentle
nature. Imagine what 85 years of selective breeding, careful screening, and innovative
training have accomplished!
As a donor to The Seeing Eye, you have made all of this possible. Your generous support
enables remarkable men and women to come from across the United States and Canada to be
matched with these amazing dogs. They are lawyers and artists; professors and students;
factory workers and stay-at-home parents. But they all want what Morris did – enhanced
independence. Thanks to you, The Seeing Eye will be here to provide that enhanced
independence for another 85 years and beyond.
Sincerely,
James A. Kutsch, Jr., President & CEO, The Seeing Eye
W
elcome to The Seeing Eye
Heritage Society
The Seeing Eye Heritage Society was
founded in 1989 to recognize and
honor those individuals who have taken
the important step of including a legacy
gift to The Seeing Eye in their financial
portfolios or estate plans. Members of
The Heritage Society have recognized
the importance of the continuation of
our work with people who are blind
and visually impaired and have
expressed a commitment to that end by
planning a gift which will help provide
for the future success of the school.
Legacy gifts make up a large portion
of the donations received by The
Seeing Eye each year, for which we
are most grateful. Gifts of this nature
secure the future of our mission,
providing ongoing services to our
graduates and new students.
It is very possible that you are eligible
for membership in The Heritage
Society, but haven’t let us know. If you
have created a bequest in your will or
trust, or named The Seeing Eye as
beneficiary of a charitable trust, a
retirement plan, or a life insurance
policy, you are eligible to become a
member of The Heritage Society! We
want very much to be able to say
“thank you” and include you in The
Heritage Society events.
Please take a moment to inform us
of your intention by calling
973-539-4425 x1735 or email
donate@seeingeye.org.
Ms. Pauline Alexander
Mrs. Cynthia Allen
Jen Armbruster
Tamara Armstrong
Rana McMurray Arnold
Ms. Murielle Arseneau
Mrs. Rhoda Attanasio
Barbara A. Backer, RN
James & Irene Baranski
Dr. & Mrs. James Barnes
Dr. Michael L. Barnett
Mildred H. Beam
Andrea & Mitch Becker
Mrs. Susanna A. Berger
Rita V. Bergerson
Ms. Nancy Conant Berresford
Nanette Boak
Miss Candice Bolte
Doris Bowen
Mr. Kenneth Bowles
Fred & Kathy Brack
Carole J. Brand
Mr. Daniel P. Braun
Art & Mary Braunschweiger
Lt. Gen. & Mrs. Robert A. Breitweiser
Nina R. Brilli
Mr. & Mrs. William* Brinker
Barbara Brooks Family Trust
Mr. & Mrs. William Brouillard
Cindy Brown
Carol & Ray Bsarany
Dr. Mari Bull
Ms. Joan E. Burgomaster
Lolly & Jay Burke
Lloyd Burlingame
Mr. H. W. William Caming
Mr. & Mrs. Frederick B. Campbell
Mr. Richard Cannon
Ms. Judi Cannon
Donna A. Carides
Julie H. Carroll, Esq.
Ms. Judith Carson
Mr. Santo Cascio
Ms. Lauren Casey
Mrs. Ann L. Cavalli
Catherine A.M. Cavanaugh
Mrs. Ann Cavellier
David & Marion Chappell
Mrs. Margaret P. Chappell
Mr. Thomas J. Cherry
Dr. Lawrence X. Clifford
Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Collin
Mr. & Mrs. Norman F. Comly
Mr. and Mrs.
Patrick G. Constantinides
Mr. Alan Conway
Miss Ann L. Corbly
George & Nancy Cottrell
Mrs. Joan Coughlin
Ms. Arline Cowell
Mr. Charles Crawford
Mrs. Lee Crossman
Deborah E. Curtis
Mr. John A. D'Ambra
Mr. Alan Dalton
Craig Davis
Lois N. DeConca
Mrs. Elizabeth Sandra DeGeorge
Ms. Raye L. Delle
Lori & Dennis DeMarco
Francis & Karen DeNaro
Ms. Denise DePalma
Doris N. Desher
Ms. Barbara Dicks
Margie Donovan
Dr. & Mrs.
George Alexander Doumani
Janice G. Drake
Ms. Michele Drolet
Kenneth Duncan & Patricia Lewis*
The Honorable and Mrs. Davis Duty
Mr. & Mrs. David J. Ebel
Douglas and Wyndham Eberle
Dr. Sylvia Ebert
Dr. & Mrs. James Elston
Ms. Tina Emery*
Marcus Engel
Lorraine Engenito
Mrs. Susan Etters
Donna J. Evans
Albert & Gloria* Evans
Mr. Paul H. Falon
Mrs. Lorraine R. Filiere
Ms. Eleanor A. Finnin
Mr. & Mrs. James Fitzgerald
Patricia E. Fleming
Mr. Gene F. Forsyth
Betty Foster
Ms. Jane L. Fouraker
Maria Franchino
Ms. Estelle Freedman
Mr. Robert E. Friedman
Ms. Irene M. Gaitley
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Gallagher
Mrs. Frederica W. Gamble
Tom Garner
Mrs. Peggy Garrett
Ms. Helen Gartman
Hank & Gudy Gautschy
Drs. Philip and Marjorie Gerdine
Shirley M. Giovannoli
Florence Susan Godek
Susan & Keith Gonzalez
Mr. Brian Gourley
Joan Grandinetti
Peggy Grow
Across these pages you will see the names of those individuals who
have informed us of their extraordinary commitment to enhancing the
independence, dignity, and self-confidence of people who are blind
through the use of Seeing Eye® dogs by providing for The Seeing Eye
in their estate plans. Thank you!
Elsie D. Hajdics
Robert & Dana Hamwee
Dale & Peggy Harris
Marilyn & Gord Harris
Mr. J. Philip Hart
Timothy & Lorraine Hartley
Ms. Joan D. Hassan
Robert & Jean Hegedus
Jeffrey Henn
Mr. & Mrs. David G. Henry
F. Lois Henry
Tidi B. Herndon
Mr. & Mrs. Gordon C. Hill
Jamie Hilton
Jim & Debbie Hoffert
Mrs. Mary G. Holliday
Mrs. Elizabeth Hontz
Claire A. Hopkins
Don Horneff
Mrs. Vivian Hulse
Ms. Mary Jane Irwin
Graham & Jean Jeffrey
Miss Barbara L. Jennings
Priscilla H. Johnson
Miss Natalie Johnson
In memory of Dolores Johnston
Lynda Jones
Michael & Sylvie Meyers-Jouan
Ms. Jane Judson
Mrs. Karen Julius
Mr. Howard J. Kahn
Arthur & Esther Kane
Dr. Sivia Kaye
Mrs. Virginia S. Kelcec
Kevin & Gina Keyte
Mrs. Junerose Killian
Frederick I. Kilpatrick
Joseph Dean Klatt, PhD
Cameron & Martha Koblish
Raymond & Lois Kohan
Earl & Anna Kragnes
Norma Krajczar
Charles W. & Cissy R. Kramer
John G. & Ruth K.* Kramer
Marvin* & Gaytha Kraushar
Ulrike Kreiner-Holzhauer &
Viktor Kreiner
Mr. Harry L. Krueger
Dr. James A. Kutsch, Jr. &
Mrs. Ginger B. Kutsch
Ms. Elissa La Bagnara
Mrs. Mary Lacatena &
Mr. Jerome Lacatena
Annette M. Lange
Jacqueline Lanning
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lardine
Theresa Lassek
Elaine J. Lawrason
Kathleen & Leonard Lederer
Mr. Ralph W. Ledford
Dr. Harold F. Leeper &
Ms. Ann B. Gourley
Midge Leitch, VMD
Kaye Leslie
Hilda W. Lichtenstein
Dr. Rebecca Lineberger
Irwin & Lois Ann Linker
Richard H. Livesey III &
Mrs. Mae F. Livesey
Thelma M. Locke*
Judith & Victor V. Lolli
Daisy Lundsten
Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Lurie
Mr. Edward Macauley
Ted Macdonald
Mrs. Marjorie Machesney
James & Eugenia MacKellar
Mary Jeanne Maclaurin
Mrs. Ann Mann
Mary Manwaring
Donna Jean Marrone
in memory of Louis Jr. &
Karen Ann
Ms. Phyllis J. Marsteller
Robert & Debra Mastera
Ms. Flora Mattis
Ms. Ruth A. McCartney
Mrs. Gwynne G. McDevitt
Mrs. Toula McEllen
Erin McNamara
Mr. David McShane
Mr. William Meinecke
Mr. Richard G. Mercner
Mrs. Judith Meyers
Barbara Michie
Asya Miller
Mrs. Muriel B. Miller*
Mr. Edward W. Miller
Lois Mills
Harriet E. Monaghan
Jeanne-Marie Moore
Rev. Bonnie L. Moore
Mrs. Barbara Moore
Helen F. Morgan
Paul & Rosie Morline
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph D. Moulton
Ms. Phyllis M. Murphy
Jeanne C. Myers
Dr. Grace Napier
Mrs. Jeanne Neale
Miss Evelyn M. Nemes
Dr. & Mrs. Edwin B. Nettleton
Mr. Nelson Newcomb
Dr. Aminda Nicoloro
Mr. & Mrs. James M. Norman
Barbara W. Nugent
Richard K. O’Dea
Mrs. Juanita B. Oleyar
Louise B. Olshan
Mrs. Elise R. Olton
Mr. & Mrs. L. Ostar
Mrs. Margaret S. Osterhoudt
Elizabeth Ostrowski
Margaret E. Otto
Mrs. Irene Palazzo
Mrs. Ethel H. Palmer
Lois Paris
Mr. & Mrs. Ben Parisi
Theodore C. Paulson, Sr.
Mr. Louis Pepe
Ms. Zucel Perez
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Peterson
Gail J. Petre
Miss Camille Petrecca
Dianne & Beverly Petty
Mrs. Lisa Pfleider
Mr. William J. Pimblott
Miss Gladys R. Pincus
Cheryl L. Pitz
Martha & Howard Polin
Dena L. Polston
Andrea C. Popick
Mr. Charles A. Prescott
Mr. George T. Pullman
Mr. William D. Quick
Ms. Ellen Quimper
Claire Durand Racamato
Mr. & Mrs. Dale Reed
Miss Monte F. Richardson
Buddy & Nancy Richman
Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Roberts
Ms. Rachel Robinson
Claire Barlow Roffino
Richard & Lisa Roiseman
June Catherine Romano
Diane Romano
Barbara Ina Rosen
in memory of Rose &
Max Rosen
Elyse G. Rosenfield
Mr. Kenneth Rosenthal
Ms. Grace Rosenthal
Jan Rumbaugh
David A. Salo
Mr. Anthony Salvati
Sylvia Sammons
Dave & Janet Sanders
Doris R. Satterwhite
Susan Schechter
Patricia & Richard Schnadig
Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.
Mr. & Mrs. Leon E. Schrader
Ms. Betsy Schuhart
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scott
Mr. & Mrs. W. Sydnor* Settle
Helen E. Sheehan
Katherine Shelton
Irene Sidun
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Silver
Judith L. Sissick
Cornelia J. Smith
Mr. Gerald Smith
Susan V. Smith
Ann C. Smith
James C. Solly
in memory of Eleanora M. Solly
Mrs. Lillian S. Stamler
Ms. Valorie Stanard
Mark & Barbara Steinberg
Jo Anne Stevens
Eva Marie Stevens
Carol Stevens Hewson
Dorothy J. Stichel
Mrs. Marilyn Stiglitz
Mrs. Gloria Strei
Mr. Bruce Strnad
Mrs. Miriam Strong
Helen Jo Taliaferro
Leon A. Tierney, Jr.
Mr. Peter M. Tilkin
Jane Toleno
Kathy Towson
Miriam Travis
Ms. Eileen L. Trotta
Mr. John Turner
Carol A. Ungro
Ms. Peg Van Patton
Shirley M. Vavra
Mark Vellen
Dr. Brian Wallach
Mrs. Doreen Waller
Mr. & Mrs. Frank E. Walsh, Jr.
Sally A. Webb
Ms. Jane Weidlund
Mrs. Dorothy Weidowke
Miss Suzanne Whalen
Mr. and Mrs. Eric Whalen
Mrs. Marie Whitlatch
Ms. Theresa Wierszylo
Mr. Alan L. Wilkinson *
Dwight Wilson, Jr.
Ms. Bernadette Winkler*
Mrs. Sharon F. Wolf
Ms. Karen A. Wood
Patricia J. Woolard-Wolff
Mary E. Wurst
Miss Ann S. Yagolnitzer
Joyce B. Young
Richard & Simone Zoladz
26 members of the
Heritage Society who wish
to remain anonymous
*in memoriam
letters
TO THE SEEING EYE
Dear Seeing Eye:
In 1932, I wished to make a donation to The Seeing Eye.
My dad drove me (10 years old) with my carefully saved gift
to Morristown from Montclair. Here I met Morris Frank and
Buddy. We visited the living quarters, toured the kennels,
and I offered my small donation consisting of many silver
dollars and crumpled bills. A silver dollar fell to the floor, but
Mr. Frank stopped me. “Buddy will get it,” he said, and
soon the awkward slippery silver dollar was in Mr. Frank’s
hand. I was so delighted and thrilled.
Many anonymous gifts have been made over the following
years as I have marveled at your amazing skill assisting
people who are blind. My support will always be there,
perhaps smaller as I age but always heartfelt.
My husband, Richard Oakley, died September 11, 2013,
at the age of 91, so I am sending this donation in his name.
Thank you for all that you do.
Shirley M. Oakley
If I combine the traits of the puppies I raised – the loyalty of
Pepper, the calm of Wisty, the maturity of Irene, the warmth
of Ulla, the spirit of Rose, and the persistence of Xana – I
might find just the right kind of success in college, and in
life, with a passion for learning, contributing, and growing
every day. Thank you, The Seeing Eye, for giving me these
life-long gifts.
Julia Chirls
Dear Seeing Eye:
For her seventh birthday this year, my daughter Kathryn
wanted to get the American Girl’s service dog, named
Chocolate Chip. We talked to her about service dogs and
how they help people with disabilities, including several
friends of ours in the Columbus and Toledo areas.
We also talked about Candie. My wife Enjie Wu, now Hall,
had a Seeing Eye dog named Candie. She was an integral
part of our family, even playing the dual role of flower girl
and ring bearer at our wedding. She retired to Grandma’s
house where our children played with her and Candie
basked on the couch in her last years.
Dear Seeing Eye:
The biggest lesson I’ve learned from my experiences as a
Seeing Eye puppy raiser is that one gesture could help
someone unknown to me who is in need. For about 16
months, I teach basic commands that will help the puppy
succeed at The Seeing Eye, where she will experience
formal training. The lesson that I have learned from working
with Seeing Eye puppies applies to any charitable work.
Any gesture, big or small, could help someone if you just
take the time to do it.
Inspired by Candie and Chocolate Chip, Kathryn asked her
friends to donate to The Seeing Eye instead of bringing
presents to her party. The money enclosed is in honor of
Kathryn’s birthday, and also in memory of Candie, to go to
the Pennies for Puppies® program.
Russell B. Hall
Among the most special moments of my puppy raiser
experience was receiving Wisty’s letter of acceptance from
The Seeing Eye. I keep a picture of her, full of confidence in
her harness, on my desk to remind me that dedication and
hard work do pay off. While it is a pleasure to have a furry
friend roaming the house all hours of the day, the true
fulfillment comes from the end result: making the life of
another person better.
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
1
cover story
f
Top right:
A Seeing Eye
instructor trains a dog
in Nashville, Tennessee,
in February 1929.
Bottom right:
Dr. Howard Buchanan
is guided by Gala
around children
playing on a sidewalk.
irst class
It all began with a Gala. (And a Tartar.)
Morris Frank was the first man to be teamed with a
Seeing Eye dog, but he wasn’t the first graduate of
The Seeing Eye. That’s because Frank and Buddy
were partnered in Switzerland in 1927 – and The
Seeing Eye was still just a dream shared by Frank
and Dorothy Harrison Eustis.
Two years later, on January 29, 1929, The Seeing
Eye became a reality as it was issued a certificate of
incorporation. Frank, now the managing director of
The Seeing Eye, Inc., reported to Eustis that he had
rented an office in the Fourth and First National
Bank Building in Nashville, Tennessee, for $15 a
month. Frank also bought two desks, four chairs,
and a coat tree for another $15. The Seeing Eye
was now in business. This would be the home of The
Seeing Eye for its first two years, before moving to
New Jersey in 1931.
And four days later, on February 2, the first two
students would arrive to meet their dogs – both
German shepherds. (We began training other breeds
within a few years.)
2
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
Dr. Howard Buchanan of Monmouth, Illinois, had
been scheduled to follow in Frank’s footsteps, literally,
by being trained at Fortunate Fields, Eustis’s dog
training facility in Switzerland. But an illness forced
him to cancel that trip. Now he was in Nashville to
train with instructors Jack Humphrey, Adelaide
Clifford, and Willi Ebeling. He would be matched
with Gala, the dog that had been trained for him in
Switzerland.
“The first day I was home, I went out with Gala alone
and we went to nine different places,” Buchanan
said. “This is the first time since my blindness that I
have been able to go when and where I pleased
without asking some member of my family or a friend
to go with me.”
85th
Anniversary
Gala
Top left:
Dr. Raymond Harris
and Tartar wait for a
passing streetcar as
they cross Bay Street in
Savannah, Georgia.
Bottom left:
Instructor Adelaide
Clifford trains a dog in
Nashville, Tennessee.
And as we started with
a Gala, it only seems
appropriate that we
celebrate our
85th birthday with one!
On Friday, May 16,
The Seeing Eye will hold
an 85th Anniversary Gala
on our campus in
Morristown, New Jersey.
Tickets are $350
and attire is
“business/cocktail.”
For more information,
please contact
Tracy Crimmins at
tcrimmins@seeingeye.org
or call
973-539-4425 ext. 1751.
Dr. Raymond V. Harris of Savannah, Georgia, was
matched with Tartar, another Fortunate Fields dog
that Eustis described in a letter to Frank as a very
beautiful dog.
A month later, the second class – already up to six
people – would begin training in Nashville. Among
their number was Blanche Eddy of Berkeley,
California, the first woman to be matched with a
Seeing Eye dog. Her German shepherd, Beta, was
the first dog trained by Ebeling, a German
businessman living in New Jersey who had retired at
the age of 46 and enjoyed breeding and showing
German shepherds. He would serve as the
organization’s executive vice president until 1953,
and after his retirement, remained on the Board of
Trustees until his death in 1961.
These members of the second class were encouraged
with a telegram from Harris, reading:
You are about to start the most enjoyable journey of your
darkness. My experience assures you that you may place implicit
confidence in your instructors and confidence and faith in your
dogs. Life’s pathway is strewn with many pitfalls and dangers,
but your dog will successfully negotiate for you all of these and
protect you at all times. Let your watchwords be courage and
perseverance. Thank God, the Great Master, for The Seeing Eye,
and your instructors.
Frank and Buddy, followed by Buchanan and Gala
and Harris and Tartar, were the first Seeing Eye
teams; over the next 85 years, The Seeing Eye
created more than 16,000 teams, and today there
are graduates living in all 50 states and across
Canada. But it all began on the streets of Nashville,
with a Gala…and a Tartar.
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
3
thank you, volunteers!
LYNN GECZI
is the
2013 VOLUNTEER of the YEAR
The Seeing Eye has about 150 on-campus volunteers –
roughly as many volunteers as full-time staff! These
volunteers do a number of tasks on and off campus, from
helping to care for the dogs to providing clerical support to
office staff; from helping with our online auction to
delivering puppies!
On September 26, The Seeing Eye thanked its volunteers
with a reception held on campus. All volunteers were
invited to attend, and gifts were presented to those who
have been volunteering for 1, 5, 10, 15, and in the case
of Jack Strangfeld, 20 years of service.
“We could not do all that we do at The Seeing Eye
without our volunteers,” Seeing Eye President & CEO
Jim Kutsch said.
The Seeing Eye also recognized the 2013 Volunteer of the
Year: Lynn Geczi. The resident of Clark, New Jersey, is a
volunteer in the Puppy Development Department. She also
is the mother of Seeing Eye instructor Kim Geczi. She’s
been volunteering since 2006.
“We belong to the Essex County Puppy Club, and one of
the leaders, Janet Keeler, had been volunteering for The
Seeing Eye for years,” Lynn explained. “And in talking to
her about it, I thought… ’I love The Seeing Eye… why
don’t I do that?’ So I did! And I truly love volunteering. I
really enjoy being there.”
4
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
“We call her the ghost, because I just leave something for
her to do before I leave, and when I come in the next
morning it’s magically done,” said Kathy Daly, the Linda
Feinne-Roth Manager of Puppy
Development. “She’s in here at
the crack of dawn, running
copies, checking inventory,
putting together puppy raiser
kits – whatever needs to get
WE COULD NOT
done, she’ll do it.”
“
The puppy raiser kits are
provided to both returning and
new puppy raiser families,
Daly explained.
DO ALL THAT
WE DO AT THE
SEEING EYE
WITHOUT OUR
VOLUNTEERS.
”
“We have 500 puppies going
out every year. That’s a lot of
— Jim Kutsch,
kits!” Daly said. “Before we
Seeing Eye President & CEO
had Lynn, the coordinators
had to do it themselves, and it
was just so time consuming.
Lynn’s help means they can spend more time out in the
field with the puppy raiser families, which is where we
need them to be.”
The Geczi family also has raised 21 puppies, beginning in
1996, and they are currently raising a seven-month-old
German shepherd named Ernie.
Photo by John Keane
VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARDS
One Year of Service
Mary Lou Burde
Janet Cloninger
Alison Cogan
Linda Colligan
Joseph Conti
Judy Deuschle
Katherine DiRicco
Carol Drummond
Dan Fagan
Melinda Gilligan
Barbara Hightower
Heather Holcomb
Becky Irving
Kathy Jones
Pam Kallas
Karen Kane
George Kennedy
Rob Kneller
Stewart Linder
Agi Louria
Michael Lyons
Don MacGowan
Deborah Maull
Whitney Maull
Lisa Perlman
Jeannie Philips
Doug Roberts
Janet Rozanski
Richard Rozanski
Janet Ryans
Linda Schiele
Clora Seals
Loreli Stochaj
Photo by John Keane
The Beacon Hill Musicians -- Marty Eigen on
saxophone and flute, Flip Peters on guitar, and
Ron Naspo on bass -- donated their talents at the
volunteer reception.
E.J. Sullivan
Kristin Tavares
Margaret Turrisi-Toupet
John Tucciarone
Nancy Tucker
Bethany Tulloch
Sheila Wolfensohn
Five Years of Service
Sally Franzel
Myrna Laracuente
Penny Newell
Johanna Ostar
Robert Parker
Helene Roth
George Schaberg
Peggy Schaberg
Bernie Schoenfeld
Clare Sievers
Tracy Silverschotz
Bob Swanson
Ten Years of Service
John Kenney
Toula McEllen
Joyce Novak
Fifteen Years of Service
Janet Dedrick
Twenty Years of Service
Jack Strangfeld
Volunteer of the Year
Lynn Geczi
Photo by John Keane
Seeing Eye Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Lewis M. Chakrin and
Seeing Eye President Dr. James A. Kutsch Jr. present Jack Strangfeld
a gift in recognition of his 20 years as a volunteer at The Seeing Eye.
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
5
donor profile
Dorothy’s Legacy
Dorothy Harrison
Eustis with a young
German shepherd.
A History of Support
The Seeing Eye Thanks Its
Long-Term Donors
What are you still doing today that you were
doing in 2003?
More than 1,600 people have been doing one
thing all those years – supporting The Seeing Eye!
We looked at our donor database and were
elated to discover just how many donors have
been giving to us each and every year. And more
than 100 have been giving every year for 20
years or more!
Gordon and Thelma Hill of Wrightwood,
California, have been giving to The Seeing Eye
since 1988 – every year for 25 consecutive years.
The first donor to The Seeing Eye, of course, was
Dorothy Harrison Eustis.
Dorothy was a wealthy woman, having inherited money
from her father, Charles Custis Harrison, a sugar refinery
owner, noted philanthropist, and provost of the University
of Pennsylvania; and her first husband, Walter Wood Jr.,
a businessman and local politician who died of an illness
after they’d been married just nine years.
6
Thelma explained that she knows from personal
experience just how valuable a Seeing Eye dog
can be to a person who is blind or visually
impaired – her sister, Anne Laurel, is now teamed
with her third Seeing Eye dog, a black
Lab/golden retriever cross named Anya.
“I know how much freedom my sister has with her
Seeing Eye dog, and how important it is to her
life,” Thelma said. “We could never repay The
Seeing Eye for what you’ve done for her.”
She not only poured much of her own money into The
Seeing Eye – buying the school’s first home in Whippany for
$30,000 in 1931, more than $450,000 in today’s dollars –
but also tirelessly raised funds on the organization’s behalf.
In just 10 short years, The Seeing Eye’s endowment grew
from $43,000 in 1933 to more than $1 million in 1943.
Even then, The Seeing Eye knew that a healthy endowment
was the key to the school’s future – it ensures that the school
will be here when students return for subsequent Seeing Eye
dogs, able to weather economic downturns.
Thelma said she and her husband also adopted a
dog from The Seeing Eye, a German shepherd
named Dottie. “We had her for seven years, and
she was the most wonderful dog,” Thelma
recalled. “She couldn’t work because she was
animal distracted. Well, we live up here in the San
Gabriel Mountains where there aren’t any cars to
worry about, so she could spend all day running
up and down the hillsides chasing squirrels and
having a wonderful time.”
The Seeing Eye is now in the midst of a five-year, $10
million capital campaign to raise funds for the endowment.
We are more than halfway to our goal! If you would like to
donate, contact Susan Ullmann in the Donor and Public
Relations Department at (973) 539-4425.
The Hills also are members of the Heritage
Society, meaning they have provided for The
Seeing Eye in their estate plans.
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
“We love The Seeing Eye. It is a terrific
organization,” Thelma said. “Dogs are wonderful
creatures, and they really do help people.”
A Selfless Act of Love
For Sue Maya, raising puppies is a family tradition
Sue Maya grew up raising puppies for
The Seeing Eye. And now, more than 30
years later, she’s given that experience to
her own children.
“You put your heart and soul into loving
these dogs, and there are some tears
when you give them up,” Sue said. “But
honestly, I work in Morristown, so I get to
see a lot of these puppies when they get
matched with new students. I get more
choked up seeing that – seeing what they
are going to do for someone who needs
them – than I do when I give them up. I
saw a young lady, probably with her first
Seeing Eye dog, walking down the street
with such grace and confidence that I
had to pull over because I was bawling
so hard. As a mother, seeing that girl and
how beautifully she was working with
that dog, my hope is that every puppy I
raise will be able to do that for someone.”
Sue raised three Seeing Eye puppies as a
child for The Seeing Eye; now, along with
her husband Willie and their two
children, she’s raised three more.
Sue said raising puppies teaches her
children about responsibility, hard work,
sacrifice, and love. “It truly is a selfless
act of love – a love for someone you are
probably never going to meet,” she said.
“And it also teaches children that
sometimes you have to give up something
that you love, but you can survive that.”
Her 15-year-old son, Wilson, has raised
two puppies, both yellow Labrador
retrievers – one named Dan, the other
Boss. Both successfully completed training
and are now working with Seeing Eye
graduates!
“It’s hard work, but it’s definitely worth
it,” Wilson said. “It’s an incredible feeling
to know that this dog you raised is going
to do something good for someone else.”
Allyson, 12, is raising her first Seeing
Eye dog, a 9-month-old golden retriever
named Bay. Sometime in the next three to
six months, Bay will return to The Seeing
Eye for an evaluation, and if he passes,
begin training to become a Seeing Eye
dog.
“It’s going to be hard to give him up,”
Allyson said. “I know I’ll be upset, but I
also know it is for a good cause.”
Allyson and Wilson Maya with Seeing Eye
puppy Bay, a golden retriever, in a photo
taken last fall.
IT ALL BEGINS WITH PUPPIES
Our volunteer puppy raisers play a
critical role in The Seeing Eye’s
mission to provide the world’s best
guide dogs. They not only teach the
puppies basic obedience and good
house manners, but also socialize the
puppies so they are familiar with
different people, places, and animals.
But most of all, our raisers teach our
puppies to respond to love and praise
– which are the rewards they get in
training as well as later when they’re
paired with a Seeing Eye graduate.
For more information about becoming
a Seeing Eye puppy raiser, please go
to http://www.seeingeye.org/raise.
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
7
news highlights
Crnkovich Elected Chairman of Seeing Eye Board
Peter N. Crnkovich, Senior Adviser of Morgan Stanley, has been elected
Chairman of The Seeing Eye’s Board of Trustees. Crnkovich, who was first
elected a trustee of the Morristown school in 2003, had been serving as
Vice Chairman since 2009.
The resident of Madison, N.J., served
as chairman of Morgan Stanley’s
Global Healthcare Industry Investment
Banking Practice and has a B.S. from
Georgetown University and an M.B.A.
from the Stanford Graduate School of
Business.
at Ramapo College of New Jersey, who
had served the maximum permitted
term as Chairman but will remain on
the Board of Trustees. Dr. Margaret E.
L. (Peggi) Howard of Whitehouse
Station, N.J., Vice President of
Administration and University Relations
at Drew University, was elected Vice
Chair. These new officers join three
officers who were re-elected: Vice
Chair Thomas Duffy of Franklin Lakes,
N.J.; Secretary Julie Carroll of Falls
Church, Va.; and Treasurer Robert
Hamwee of New Vernon, N.J.
Crnkovich succeeds past Chairman Dr.
Lewis M. Chakrin of Mendham, N.J.,
dean of the Anisfield School of Business
In addition, two people were recently
elected to the Board of Trustees: Ari
Benacerraf of New York, N.Y., senior
“I’m proud to help lead The Seeing Eye
in its mission to enhance the dignity
and independence of people who are
blind and visually impaired through the
use of our amazing Seeing Eye®
dogs,” Crnkovich said.
DUSTY’S LAW PASSES IN NEW JERSEY
In July 2010, a Seeing Eye puppy was mauled by an
unrestrained dog in New Jersey. The puppy, a German
shepherd named Dusty, survived the attack but was unable
to enter the training program due to the attack.
For the past four years, The Seeing Eye has been working
toward Dusty’s Law, which would make killing, injuring, or
interfering with a service animal or service animal in
training (including puppies being raised to be guide dogs)
a criminal offense in New Jersey. Not only would this mean
stricter penalties if people (or their dogs) attack guide dogs, but by making it a
crime, police would respond to such incidents. In the past, such incidents would
usually be referred to animal control officers, who typically aren’t available during
off hours, and often didn’t have the resources to investigate the attack or render
assistance to a guide dog user whose dog may be unable to work. The effort to get
the law passed was led by Dusty’s puppy raiser, Roger Woodhour, and Seeing Eye
volunteer Ginger Kutsch.
Dusty’s Law was passed by the Assembly and Senate and signed in January by
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
8
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE
managing director of Amulet
Capital/Diamond Castle Holdings, and
Steve Pangere of Crown Point, Ind.,
President and CEO of The Pangere
Corporation of Gary, Ind. Pangere is a
graduate of The Seeing Eye, having
been matched with his first Seeing Eye
dog, a black Labrador/golden retriever
cross named Hope, in 2010.
Prepare To Bid!
We will once again be holding our
online auction this spring, beginning
April 23 and ending May 2. We are
currently accepting item donations,
such as new (or unique) items, gift
baskets, sports tickets, or gift
certificates. We also are looking for
companies that would like to sponsor
the auction.
If you have an item to donate,
or if your company would be
interested in sponsoring the auction,
please contact Sara Meehan at
smeehan@seeingeye.org,
call (973) 539-4425 ext 1736, or visit
www.seeingeye.org/auction.
!
D
L
O
S
Thanks for leading the way.
Bausch + Lomb shares The Seeing Eye’s commitment
to helping the visually impaired.
The
Seeing
Eye
See Better. Live Better
© 2012 Bausch & Lomb Incorporated. Bausch + Lomb is a trademark of
Bausch & Lomb Incorporated. All other product/brand names are trademarks of
their respective owners. PNS06051
The
Seeing
Eye
Washington Valley Road • P.O. Box 375
Morristown, NJ 07963-0375
The Seeing Eye,
then and now!
On the left, G. William Debetaz,
who joined The Seeing Eye in
1929 as an instructor and
retired 43 years later as vice
president of training, teaches a
black Labrador retriever to look
for overheard obstacles; on the
right, Seeing Eye instructor
Kristin Lake demonstrates the
same technique to a German
shepherd, 85 years later!
Photo Credits:
Historical image−The Seeing Eye archives.
Contemporary image−David Shapiro.
The Seeing Eye
President & CEO
James A. Kutsch, Jr.
Editor
Craig Garretson
Communications Manager
Visit our Website
Email
Phone
Fax
In Canada
Registered Canadian
Charity Number
ISSN
Publication number
www.SeeingEye.org
info@SeeingEye.org
973-539-4425
973-539-0922
c/o The Seeing Eye Organization
T8059, P.O. Box 8059, STN A
Toronto, ON M5W 3W5
89100 8690 RR 0001
0037-0819
488580
The Seeing Eye produces the Guide® magazine in audio and electronic versions, in addition to this print version.
Copies are available by request. This issue and past issues also are available on our website.
Permission to reprint may be obtained by contacting The Seeing Eye.
Seeing Eye® is a registered trademark for guide dogs of The Seeing Eye, Inc., and is its registered service mark for training
dogs as guides and instructing visually impaired individuals in their use and care. The Seeing Eye admits and offers students
of any race, color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or ancestry all
the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual
orientation or ancestry in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and
other school-administered programs.
The Seeing Eye follows the guidelines recommended by the Council of U.S. Dog Guide Schools for the humane care and training of dogs to be guides, and the instruction and
graduate services offered to people who are blind or visually impaired.
The Seeing Eye is an accredited member of the International Guide Dog Federation.
The mission of The Seeing Eye is to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of people who are blind, through the use of specially trained Seeing Eye dogs.
© 2014 THE SEEING EYE.