Hello everyone! The holiday season is upon us, and the new year is just around the corner.
In this issue: A special holiday message from the Green Capes Lions Club, a look back on this year’s achievements and news, highlights from recent events and more!
A special holiday message from the Green Capes Lions Club:
“May you never grow too old
To dream at Christmas!”
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!
The 2024 year in review
Some exciting and wonderful things have happened at Green Capes this past year, and below are some of the highlights:
Green Capes presents $75,000 cheque to the LFCDG at the Difference Campaign
In fulfillment of our $250,000 pledge to fund the new school reception area, the Green Capes Lions Club presented the LFCDG with a cheque for the final $75,000 at the launch of the Difference Campaign. The launch of the Difference Campaign marks the beginning of the final push to raise the last $10 million needed to fully fund the new $50 million dog guide training facility currently being constructed.
Green Capes sponsors a new litter of puppies
In recognition of the work that LFC District Chairs do to promote our Lions Calendar Sales program, Green Capes sponsored a puppy litter. The LFC District Chairs that successfully brought on new clubs to the fundraising program had the opportunity to submit potential puppy names based on the theme Heroes. On March 18, nine Labrador puppies were born to Hattie and Gibbs, and the 3 female and 6 male puppies were given the names Tango, Maud, Daurene, Rocket, Tupper, Banting, Hansen, Ranger and Royden.
Expansion of the School Sales Program in both B.C. and Ontario
2024 saw the school sales program expand to include additional schools in B.C., as well as new schools signing on for the first time in Ontario! A total of 11 new schools joined the program this year.
New merchandise arrives in the GC Store
This year also marked the arrival of new Superpup memo pads, collapsible dog bowls and a new Christmas-themed note card pack in the Green Capes store. The “Things to fetch” memo pads measure 3” wide by 5” long, and come in pads of 50 sheets. Perfect for recording those important and not-to-be-forgotten items. The Collapsible dog bowls are 7” in diameter, with the Super Pup logo printed in color on the bottom of a green bowl with a detachable carabiner. When collapsed, the bowls measure less than 1 inch thick, and easily fit inside a backpack or carry bag. Both are sure to be handy items to have around. The new Christmas-themed note card pack features an extremely cute image from our new 2025 Dog Guide Puppy Calendar and comes in five unique versions. Four of the five cards feature one of four special holiday sentiments, while the fifth card is blank, allowing you to customize it with a sentiment of your choosing. Get yours before they’re gone!
Construction of the new Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides School
2024 marked the initial groundbreaking at the site of the new LFCDG school, with an incredible amount of work being done on constructing the foundation and ground floor. “Supervisor” Turner, the construction crews foster pup, is maturing well and learning the necessary skills in preparation for his university training next year.
- Photos used with permission
The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year: Calendar Sales Season!
Want to support life-changing service dogs and share adorable puppy photos with your community? Join the Calendar Sales Program and help us raise vital funds for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides!
Local Calendar Sales Program: Pick up calendars from one of our many distribution points around the GTA. Once you have sold all the calendars you can, e-transfer the funds for the calendars you have sold and return any remaining calendars.
Ready to get started? Order at: https://csp.superpupcalendar.ca
Highlights from the latest events
Three new fundraiser events were held this past month in B.C., and all were an amazing success!
The first event was held on November 1st and 2nd at the Canadian Tire Store in Prince George, B.C., with just over $3,600 in merchandise sales and donations raised. Thank you to the management and staff of the Canadian Tire Store for their ongoing support.
The second event was held on November 15th and 16th at the Home Hardware Store in Fort St. John, B.C., with just over $3,200 in merchandise sales and donations raised. A huge thank you goes out to the outstanding management and staff at the store for helping to make the event a resounding success and an enjoyable experience for everyone! The Bert Bowes Middle School was also present at the event, selling the 2025 Green Capes Dog Guide Puppy Calendar as part of their School Sales Program fundraiser.
The third event was held on November 29th at the Mackenzie Center mall in Mackenzie, B.C., where residents came out to the local “Plaid Friday” event and showed their support for Dog Guides by helping to raise just over $1,200 in merchandise sales and donations.
In Ontario, Green Capes spent the November 18th weekend at the Canadian Pet Expo. We enjoyed meeting community members, making connections and raising awareness about service dogs and the vital role Dog Guides plays in providing them to Canadians with disabilities. We raised much-needed funds for LFCDG through the sales of our merchandise and donations. We want to extend a big thank you to the Canadian Pet Expo for having us!
Upcoming Events
Here are the current upcoming events:
December 6th and 7th – the second of two events at the Pet Valu store in Dawson Creek, B.C.
Dec. 11th, 11 am – 2 pm – Brookfield Place, 181 Bay St., Toronto, ON M5J 2T3
December 14th and 15th – Oakville Place in Oakville, Ontario
December 21st and 22nd – Oakville Place in Oakville, Ontario
The Green Capes Lions Club will be on-site accepting donations and offering dog treats, calendars and other Green Capes merchandise for sale, with all proceeds going to support the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Come on out and show your support. There’s something for everyone.
Want to join the fun and help out at any of these events? Click here to sign-up!
Send Us Your Requests
We want to make our newsletter as informative as possible, and we would love to hear your comments or requests. Simply reply to this newsletter with your comments or requests, and we will update the newsletter accordingly.
Got a little newsperson buried deep down inside, just howling to be let off-leash? Got a few minutes to show off your writing talents? Join the newsletter team and help us spread the news.
Come Join The Club
If you have ever considered joining, now is a great time! We need new people, new ideas and new energy. As a full member, you would be able to participate in meetings and committees, lead events and guide our future!
Did you know that there are fewer than 25 full-time members at Green Capes? Anyone is welcome to join, from anywhere in Canada! Most members are past or present puppy raisers, graduates and supporters, and we all work together to help give Canadians living with disabilities the joy, safety and independence a Dog Guide brings.
Green Capes meets monthly via Zoom and currently conducts events in southern Ontario and northeast British Columbia. If you are interested in joining, just reply to this message and our membership coordinator will get back to you asap.
Members pay an annual membership fee of $95 (pro-rated, if applicable), plus a one-time Lions International setup fee of $50.
Join the fun and help us make today’s puppies tomorrow’s superheroes!
- The GCLC Team
