Hello everyone! Important things are happening with the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, and Green Capes is stepping up to the plate to do our part! We are calling on all members, volunteers and supporters to help spread the word and raise funds for Dog Guides!
In this issue, the Green Capes Challenge – how will you make a difference, tips for great calendar sales, highlights from recent events and much more!
The Green Capes Challenge: How Will YOU Make a Difference?
With the recent news from Dog Guides, Green Capes is more determined than ever to raise critical funds for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. And what better way to make an impact than through our adorable 2026 Green Capes Dog Guide Puppy Calendars!
We’re challenging YOU to join us in supporting Dog Guides by choosing one of the below options:
✅ Join the Green Capes Team on the Dog Guides peer-to-peer platform by going to the following web page and clicking ‘Join Us’: https://events.dogguides.com/fundraisers/greencapessuperpups
✅ Sell 2026 Green Capes Dog Guide Puppy Calendars – an adorable daily reminder of the incredible service dogs in training. 100% of the net proceeds of this calendar are donated to LFCDG. Learn more and sign up here: https://csp.superpupcalendar.ca/
Want to join us in selling calendars? Here’s how it works:
Local CSP: If you can pick up calendars from a distribution point (Oshawa, Toronto, King City, Etobicoke, Oakville, Dundas or Guelph) you can order calendars from us at no cost, sell them to friends, family, co-workers, in stores etc. for $20, and then you e-transfer the funds for the ones that you have sold! You simply return any unsold calendars to us, which makes this program easy, simple and absolutely risk-free!
Distance CSP: For those farther away, you first sell calendars for $20, collect the funds, then place your order for 10+ calendars by November 30 and e-transfer the funds to us. We will ship the calendars you have sold to you and then you can distribute them.
Learn more and sign up here: https://csp.superpupcalendar.ca/
Tips for Great Calendar Sales
Are you interested in selling calendars, but not sure who to approach, or what technique works best?
Green Capes would like to offer some tips and suggestions from our club members and dedicated volunteers on what has worked for them in the past.
This month’s suggestion: “I have good success in seniors homes. I go in with two or three puppies in September for a couple of hours, meet the residents and sell calendars. Then leave calendars at reception or in a staff office with a poster at reception.”
Give this a try, and let us know how it works for you!
If you have any ideas you would like to share with others, please send them to me********@********es.com, and they will be posted anonymously in upcoming newsletters.
Let’s help each other, and make this year our best ever for calendar sales!
Highlights from our recent fund raiser events
August marked the start of our fundraising activities in British Columbia, with an event on August 15th and 16th at the Mackenzie Center Mall in Mackenzie, B.C. and on August 29th and 30th at the Canadian Tire store in Prince George, B.C..
The 2-day event in Mackenzie raised just over $1,500 in sales and donations, while the 2-day event at the Canadian Tire Store in Prince George raised just over $3,700! A big “Thank you!” to the residents of Mackenzie and Prince George for your generous support!
September 6th also marked the start of our fundraising events in Ontario with an event at East York.
East York has held a Street Sale each September for 36 years, and for the past few years, Lynn Yamasaki, a long time DG foster, has participated, with all the money going to Dog Guides.
All items, large or small, are sold with no price tags and no haggling. People are given a pamphlet and told that they can pay whatever they want but to please give generously as it is a fundraiser for the important work at Dog Guides.
Many local fosters donated items for sale and/or attended. There was always a dog guide-in-training present as well as a HED Dog Guide and handler (and a couple of cc’d pooches for good measure). Green Capes member Janice Martin also had a table to sell Green Capes Calendars and Merchandise.
This year just over $700 was raised from the lawn sale, and just over $300 raised by GCLC, totaling just over $1000!
A sweet, Black Lab named Vista, wearing her training jacket and a green ID tag holder on her collar that says “Future Dog Guide”, who was fostered by Lynn and is now DG-in-training in the DAD program, took a break while her trainer is on vacation to come out and lend a helping paw at the event.
Upcoming events
September 19th – 20th: event at the PetValu store in Dawson Creek, B.C.
September 27th: Bronte fallin’ for fun festival at Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park, 2340 Ontario Street in Oakville. Volunteer humans, in-jacket puppies-in-training and in-jacket Dog Guides and their handlers are requested to assist, by sharing the great work of LFCDG and selling Calendars and other merchandise (dog bowls, charms, notecards, notepads, mini pet first-aid kits, basic pet first-aid kits, T-shirts, toques, etc.), all to raise funds for Dog Guides.
Updates on the new school construction
As many of you know, the construction on the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guide’s new training facility has been paused while LFCDG raises $20 million dollars for the new facility.
Organizations like Green Capes are working hard to raise the funds needed to finish the construction on the building. Please join us in one of our fundraisers and together we can help Dog Guides provide Canadians with disabilities with life-changing Dog Guides for years to come!
Below are images from the construction site, showing the work that has been completed to date. From the top left, a front view with green and blue coverings, scaffolding and a steel framework at the entrance. In the top right, a side view of the two-storey building with blue and green coverings and scaffolding. In the bottom left, an aerial view showing the school layout, flat white roof with vents and construction vehicles around the site. Lastly, in the bottom right, a courtyard view with brown brick and light stone facades, windows installed and construction materials on the ground.
Join the GCLC Team!
Are you interested in helping Canadians with disabilities receive the gift of independence, safety and happiness a dog guide brings?
Then how about becoming a member of the Green Capes Lions Club, and helping us raise funds in support of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides!
Not sure if becoming a member is right for you? No problem – you can join the club for free as a trial member for two months, and see what we are all about!
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 make today’s puppies tomorrow’s Super Heroes!
Green Capes meets monthly via Zoom and currently conducts events in southern Ontario and northeast British Columbia. Not only do we help raise funds in support of Dog Guides, we also work to spread knowledge and awareness about dog guides, and the benefits they bring to Canadians.
For a small annual fee of $97 (pro-rated, if applicable), plus a one-time Lion’s International setup fee of $50 for new memberships, full members are able to host and participate in fundraisers, lead or participate in various club committees and enjoy various fun and exciting members-only Club activities. Full members also have a voice at our monthly and annual member’s meetings, and can vote on various motions that will help guide our future! Members can even run for a position on the Club Executive, and help be a guiding light for the club and our future goals!
There is no better time to join, and a great opportunity to change the life of a person with a disability. Join the Green Capes Lions Club today, and help make today’s puppies tomorrow’s Super Heroes!
If you are interested in joining, just reply to this message and our membership coordinator will get back to you as soon as possible.
Green Capes is looking for an Events Coordinator
Do you have a talent for event coordination, and looking for an outlet to express that talent? The Green Capes Lions Club has the perfect opportunity for you!
We are looking for a new Events Coordinator to take over the planning, booking and coordination of fundraising activities in the Ontario region. Most of our current fund-raising activities take place in the Fall and early Winter months, but we are also interested in expanding to include other times of the year.
As a member of GCLC, you would have the opportunity to introduce new venues, coordinate current events, and help us spread awareness of dog guides and the benefits they bring to Canadians with disabilities.
If you are interested, or would like more information on the Events Coordinator position, please reply to this newsletter, or send a message to me********@********es.com, and we will get back to you right away.
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.
Have a great Fall, and let’s all work together to make this the best fundraising season yet!
– The GCLC Team
