Guide Dogs Giant Thankyou to Bankstown Sports

Guide Dogs Giant Thankyou to Bankstown Sports

On Thursday, 15th September 2011, the world’s biggest model guide dog visited Bankstown Sports Club for the first time to say a giant thank you for the organisation’s ongoing support of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.

The 4.3 metre model guide dog called “Gulliver” is a giant replica of the iconic, fibreglass model guide dog collection boxes often seen in shopping centres.

Over the past four years, through its wishing well, the Bankstown Sports Club has raised thousands of dollars to help Guide Dogs NSW/ACT provide its mobility services free of charge for people with impaired vision.

“Vision loss is a challenging disability but Guide Dogs’ free services help people realise that it doesn’t have to limit their independence,” said Lillian Adnan, Guide Dogs’ Fundraising Coordinator.

“But because we don’t receive any government funding, we wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of organisations like Bankstown Sports Club.”

Bankstown resident Samantha Ogilvie is one of thousands of people across NSW and the ACT with impaired vision who directly benefit from this type of support.

While Samantha lost her sight at the age of four due to cancer, that hasn’t stopped her from grabbing every opportunity that comes her way.

With her guide dog Geralee by her side, Samantha is currently studying to be a high school teacher at the University of Western Sydney. She is also a professional writer and editor, with a passion for creative writing, having attended the Sydney Writer’s Festival several times and had her poetry published.

In fact, Sam has probably done more than most, from climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and flying a plane to trying rock climbing and completing the City2Surf fun run.

With her guide dog Geralee and GPS technology to help her get around independently, Sam regularly travels all forms of public transport throughout the busy CBD and country NSW as part of her role as a PR speaker for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.

Geralee, a yellow Labrador, is Sam’s third guide dog and they have been a great team for the past seven years.

“When you have a guide dog, you always have your best friend walking beside you making the trip that much smoother because I know she's always watching out for me ensuring I never stumble or fall,” says Sam.

"It would be hard to imagine how to cope with losing something as fundamental as eyesight," says Bankstown Sports President John Murray. "As a club, we feel very privileged to be able to support Guide Dogs NSW/ACT - their work is invaluable to so many people in our community. We're very glad to help."

With an ageing population, vision loss is expected to increase by 40% by 2020 meaning 300,000 people in NSW and the ACT will be affected.

For more information visit www.guidedogs.com.au or call 02 9412 9300.