KIDS at a Rugby primary school are delighted after the huge sum they raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind meant they could sponsor and name a puppy.
Pupils from the Crescent School presented a cheque for £1,685 to the charity, having been busy fundraising since the beginning of the school year.
They started by raising over £750 at a sponsored walk around Draycote Water, where children, parents and staff walked, ran, cycled and scooted laps of the reservoir.
Next the children had a non-uniform day and a ‘guess the number of dog biscuits in the jar’ challenge which took their total to over £1,000.
Collection buckets at school events and a doggie-themed movie night helped to complete their fundraising efforts.
The total raised allows the children to sponsor a guide dog puppy and choose its name.
The children welcomed Guide Dog representatives Heather Gelder and Lyn Knight – along with their guide dogs, trainee Barny and working dog Slipper – into school for a special assembly.
Heather, who looks after guide dogs in training, spoke to the children about the charity and the services and support they provide. She explained how dogs were selected and the training process they go through.
She also caused much excitement by promising to bring in the school’s puppy for a visit when it was old enough.
Zara Corbin, Chair of the school’s parents association Friends of Crescent, presented the cheque to Heather on behalf of the school.
She said: “The children have really engaged with our fundraising for the Guide Dogs this year, and they have already been busy making suggestions for the puppy’s name.
“We have had lots of great suggestions, but the most popular choices so far are Crescent and Charlie. We can’t wait to meet the puppy when it is old enough to visit.”
