Wisconsin Good Sam Club State Charities

 

International Charities 

Dogs for the Deaf 
FOUNDED: Dogs for the Deaf (DFD) was founded in 1977 by the late Roy G. Kabat, a long-time Hollywood and circus animal trainer who raised animals for motion pictures and television shows including "Dr. Doolittle" and "Born Free." His daughter, Mrs. Robin Dickson, is his successor and the current CEO/President of Dogs for the Deaf.

Our mission is to rescue and professionally train dogs to assist people and enhance their lives.

FUNDING: Dogs for the Deaf is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency. All gifts are fully tax deductible within state and federal laws. Individuals or groups may sponsor the placement of a Hearing Dog for $5,000. Donations of all sizes are welcome and help provide Hearing Dogs for those who need them. NO TAX DOLLARS support our program. The program's investment per Hearing Dog is approximately $25,000. This includes the selection of the dog, veterinary care, training, placement, and follow up.

HEARING DOGS: Hearing Dogs are chosen from adoption shelters, where they might otherwise be euthanized if no homes are found for them. By using shelter dogs we are able to help alleviate some of the unwanted dog population by rescuing these dogs, training them, and placing them in loving homes where they can provide an important service.

The dogs are usually mixed breeds, small to medium in size, and up to 36 months of age. The trainers look for dogs that are friendly, energetic, healthy, and intelligent. Each dog is individually evaluated by a Dogs for the Deaf trainer. Those passing the aptitude tests are brought back to our facility for a thorough medical evaluation and needed vaccinations. All dogs are spayed or neutered and then begin the intensive 4 to 6 months of training. 

CAREER CHANGE DOGS: Only about 1 in 4 dogs rescued is able to complete the Hearing Dog training program. Dogs who for one reason or another do not complete Hearing Dog training are called Career Change Dogs . They make great pets, and we adopt them to people who apply for them.

State Charities
WAGS Wisconsin Academy of Graduate Service Dogs
The Wisconsin Academy of Graduate Service Dogs, Inc. began in 1987. Its mission is to promote functional independence and quality of life for persons with disabilities through partnerships with service dogs.

WAGS primarily serves people with disabilities of movement such as:

* Multiple sclerosis
* Spinal cord injury
* Neuromuscular disease
* Cerebral palsy

For these people, a WAGS dog can provide needed physical assistance which fosters greater independence.

WAGS also provides therapy and companion dogs when such a placement is more appropriate than a service placement for both the client and the dog.

To all our clients, WAGS dogs offer companionship, devotion, and unconditional love.

WAGS considers many factors before accepting applicants to be a recipient. At the very least, recipients must:

* live in Wisconsin (typically within about 60 miles of Madison)
* be active and utilize the dog's training
* be able to care for the dog physically, emotionally, and financially
* be willing to work, practice, and play with their dog

WAGS dogs are carefully chosen from selected breeders within a 60 mile radius of Madison. WAGS dogs are most often donated, although occasionally a donor will offer funds to purchase a few dogs, as Land's End did last year.

The choice of an individual dog is based on both on their pedigree and on their temperament and aptitude for service dog work. We prefer to use retrievers because of their size, strength and aptitude for working in the kind of situations facing service dogs. Most of our dogs are Golden Retrievers and Labradors.

For more information about WAGS training, please write to training@wags.net.

Special Olympics
 Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. There is no charge to participate in Special Olympics.

Special Olympics currently serves more than 1 million persons with intellectual disabilities in more than 200 Programs in more than 150 countries. In 2000, Special Olympics made a bold commitment to reach 2 million athletes by the end of 2005, placing a renewed focus on building the movement's infrastructure and establishing tools to facilitate growth. An initial census of athlete participation conducted in that year established a baseline count of athletes worldwide.

At the end of 2002, the first annual incremental count was conducted, resulting in the 2002 Special Olympics Athlete Participation Report — the first "report card" of progress toward the goal of reaching 2 million athletes. One hundred percent of Special Olympics Programs reported athlete counts in 2002, compared to 74 percent in 2000. To achieve the 2005 goal, Special Olympics must recruit and train at least 793,345 athletes in the next two and a half years.

Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and a more positive self-image. They grow mentally, socially and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents but "their voices" as well.

Ronald McDonald House

Collect the "pull tabs" from aluminum cans and turn them into your local McDonalds or bring them to the Samboree and they will be turned over to the local McDonalds for the Ronald McDonald House.  If your Chapter already saves these for a particular organization, continue to do so.  If not, please bring them to the Samboree.

One tab, along with McDonald's contribution per tab = one child, 1 minute on a dialysis machine. (1,470 tabs equal 1 lb.)

Chapters at the Wisconsin State Samboree of 2011 at Tomah, WI collected 507 lbs. of tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. This is a total of 745,290 tabs or the number of minutes children can receive free on a dialysis machine.

Chapters who contributed in 2011 were:

Lake-2-Lake Sams - 1 lb.
Apple River Drifters - 2.5 lbs.
Top O Wisconsin - 38 lbs.
Jack Pine Travelers - 44 lbs.
Yellow Thunder Sams - 46.5 lbs.
The Bell Ringers - 77 lbs.
Cranberry Country Cruisers - 108 lbs.
Valley Bummers - 185 lbs.

Thanks to all the chapters who participated.

2011 Stage Decoration of Cows 

This year the state decorated the front stage at the 2011 Moo-in' Back to Tomah Samboree by having each chapter (that wanted to participate) decorate a cow no larger than 2'x2' to be placed on the stage which represented the Theme of the Samboree. Each cow had a small can placed by it in order for attendees of the Samboree to vote for their favorite cow by dropping quarters into the can of their choice. At the end of the Samboree the amounts collected were counted and the winner announced. The money collected was given back to the participating chapters to be given to a charity of their choice. The results are below: 

First Place -      Jack Pine Travelers - 346 quarters = $865.00 
Second Place - Top-O-Wisconsin -   186 quarters = $465.00
Third Place -     Wisingles -                104 quarters = $260.00