The Mane Event
November 2011
Issue 15
The Pancake Effect
When it comes to meeting challenges, the Lion response is simple: “WE SERVE.” Serving is at the core of Lionism and is in the heart of every Lion I’ve met. Lions carry out this mission in many ways and these selfless acts of caring never cease to amaze me. In a world that seems to have moved away from caring about other people, Lions are a bright light for people whose world may have gone dark.
When I was diagnosed in 1981 with Retinitis Pigmentosa, my world started to go dark both literally and metaphorically. Depressed, I wondered how I would survive and take care of my wife and family. When I started this journey of darkness, I had no idea that back in 1939 three Lions recognized a need and founded Leader Dogs for the Blind.
It isn’t just me. In my role as a member of the Leader Dog Board of Trustees and as Chair of the Lions Advisory Committee, I am constantly hearing about the work that Lions do and the impact it has on our clients. LDB is the house that Lions built and your continued support represents a 72 year Lion’s legacy of miracles. You have brightened my world along with over 14,000 others and we will forever be grateful for your kindness.
Your acts of kindness take many forms. Fund-raising events, like those that ultimately support Leader Dog, come in all shapes and sizes. One of the most common fundraising events is the Pancake Breakfast. There is a widely known theory called the Butterfly Effect. It simply suggests that a seemingly small act like a butterfly flapping its wings, and that small movement of air it creates, can generate a chain reaction with global impact. My Lion version of the Butterfly Effect is called the Pancake Effect. Each time you flip a pancake or hand out a tiny white cane or sell a raffle ticket, it creates a movement—a movement that ultimately will be felt through a harness or a GPS device or a real white cane in the hands of a Leader Dog client. The Pancake Effect suggests that the act of a Lion flipping a pancake creates a chain reaction with global impact.
Please always know that all your tiny actions as a Lion and a supporter of Leader Dogs for the Blind, do have impact and you do make this world a brighter place.
God bless you.
Lion Jim Platzer &
Leader Dog Maddy
Mission Moment
“[Having a Leader Dog has] enabled me to do what I want to do. I was more dependent on my wife before. Now, I am more independent and I have a permanent buddy.”
~Lion William Bowers with his second Leader Dog, Duffy, graduated August 2011
Emmitsburg Lions Club—Emmitsburg, Maryland
Susan Daniels Named CEO of Leader Dogs for the Blind
On October 19, 2011, the Honorable Judge Paul Teranes, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Leader Dogs for the Blind, announced the immediate appointment of Susan M. Daniels as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Leader Dogs for the Blind. She had previously served as Chief Financial & Administrative Officer (CFAO) of Leader Dogs.
“As we performed our due diligence and reaffirmed our criteria for a CEO, we were very fortunate to have a person established within the organization who has consistently met or exceeded all of our requirements,” said Judge Teranes. “In addition, we have the added benefit of continuity of mission and operational objectives with Sue leading the organization. She is a visionary leader and has been recognized by her peers as performing at the very top of her profession. She has constantly stressed the need to maximize our strengths and address our opportunities in this especially challenging economic climate while never losing focus of the mission, the clients and the associates.”
Daniels holds a CPA and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan—Dearborn. She completed the Women’s Executive Leadership Experience through Paragon Leadership International and is a proud graduate of Leadership Greater Rochester and Leadership Oakland. She is a recipient of the 2011 Crain’s Detroit Business CFO of the Year Award (nonprofit sector), recognizing outstanding financial executives. Prior to her arrival at Leader Dogs for the Blind in 2004, Daniels was the CFAO for the Southeastern Chapter of the American Red Cross for nearly 10 years.
Kapten Plus for our Clients
In early October we sent a letter to nearly 5,000 Lions Clubs asking them to make a donation above and beyond their normal yearly giving to help put a Kapten PLUS GPS device into the hands of one of our clients.
As of November 16, Lions Clubs have purchased 83 GPS units for our clients. A huge THANK YOU goes out to all those clubs that stepped up to help our clients increase their travel independence.
Visit leaderdog.org/gps/lions to review the list of clubs who have already contributed to help our clients get Here, There and Everywhere.
Meet Mike Dengate
Mike Dengate first learned about Leader Dogs for the Blind when he was a corporate community relations specialist for a local bank. After several “career changes” at the bank, Mike decided to join the LDB team. He began his career at Leader Dog as a puppy care attendant.
Mike is now the Lions regional representative for Michigan. In this role, he works with Michigan Lions to help them understand how much we appreciate their help and interest in Leader Dogs for the Blind. An Army veteran, Mike, his wife Judy and daughter Rory spent a year in Okinawa. He likes to say his second daughter, Buffy, was “Made in Japan.”
Mike enjoys public speaking and is a die-hard Tigers, Red Wings and Oakland University Grizzlies fan.
A life-long resident of Waterford, Mike and Judy have three children, four incredible grandchildren and two rescue dogs, Sadie and Marty, of undetermined parentage.
Mike is excited to work with the Lions because, “The passion that Lions’ members have for serving is unmatched with any organization I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”
Leader Dog Chair Highlight:
Debbie Dayton
Lion Debbie Dayton has a friendly personality, good leadership skills and a passion for Leader Dogs for the Blind. This combination makes her a perfect fit for the position of Leader Dog Chair in Lions District 11-A1.
As a Past Club President, Past Zone Chair, current Region Chair and current club Vice President, Debbie brings a great deal of experience to this role. She works hard to be sure that all Lions in this Southeast Michigan district know about Leader Dog and the impact our services have on people’s lives. Debbie has been a positive influence in her district which was acknowledged when she was recently awarded Past International President Sid Scrugg’s Beacon of Hope award. Lion Debbie is also a Melvin Jones Fellow.
Lion Debbie’s work is two-fold, she teaches Lions about Leader Dog and she works to increase Leader Dog’s understanding of Lions. Debbie has been a Leader Dog Trustee since 2005. She was very involved in the creation of the Leader Dog Lions Advisory Committee and served as the first chair of this board subcommittee. Debbie is quick to volunteer for events like Leader Dog’s Annual Summer Conference and Visit for First Vice District Governor’s. She is extremely committed to furthering the partnership between Leader Dog and Lions.
At last year’s 11-A1 district convention, Debbie and a few other “Leader Dog Lions” provided an impromptu seminar for anyone who wanted to hear about LDB. She brings quarter savers everywhere she goes and never misses a chance to encourage the tail twister to help raise a few more dollars for Leader Dog. She says you have to be pro-active when partnering with clubs or planning events. “Sometimes you have to initiate the contact,” she says. “It is up to the Leader Dog Chair to generate the interest in, and enthusiasm for, Leader Dogs for the Blind.”
Lion Debbie is extremely passionate about LDB because she knows first hand the impact a Leader Dog can have on an individual’s life. In addition to all her other titles, Debbie is also a Leader Dog client. Her current Leader Dog, Patrick, provides her with the independence and mobility to get out and do all the things listed in this article. As Debbie puts it, “If it wasn’t for Leader Dog, I’d still be home sitting on the couch!”
Thank you Lion Debbie for everything you do as Leader Dog Chair, LDB Board Member and active Lion in District 11-A1. Thank you Lions for supporting Leader Dog and making it possible for people like Lion Debbie TO SERVE.
Tax Relief Act is Good News for Older Individuals
If you are 70½ years of age and up, you can use your IRA to make a tax-free gift to Leader Dogs for the Blind. Gifts made by December 31, 2011 are effective in the 2011 tax year.
To use your IRA to make a tax-free gift:
. You must be a retiree 70½ or older
. Your IRA custodian makes the distribution directly to Leader Dogs for the Blind
If you are interested in using your IRA to make a gift, contact your tax professional or IRA administrator. For information on making a gift to Leader Dog, contact Kim Cross or Roberta Trzos at 888-777-5332 or or .
Thank you for supporting Leader Dogs for the Blind!
TOP DOG CLUBS
2010-2011 Fiscal Year
Rochester Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $22,153.73
Birmingham Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $16,710.00
Eustis Lions Club 38-L NE $15,000.00
Clawson Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $12,005.00
Shelby Township Lions 11-A-2 MI $11,252.00
Rochester Hills Lions 11-A-2 MI $10,040.00
Romeo Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $9,140.00
Fraser Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $8,000.00
Algonac Lions Club 11-D-2 MI $7,500.00
Bloomfield Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $6,807.00
Beverly Hills Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $6,500.00
London North Lions Club A-1 ON $6,050.00
Hickory Lions Club 14-M PA $5,861.00
Windsor Downtown Lions A-1 ON $5,189.75
Novi Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $5,145.00
Taylor Noon Lions Club 2-S-3 TX $5,104.00
Bellflower Lions Club 1-K IL $5,100.00
Hazel Park Lions Club 11-A-2 MI $5,080.00
Bay City Lions Club 11-D-1 MI $5,015.00
TOP 10 MULTI-DISTRICTS
2010-2011 Fiscal Year
SD-10 & MD-11 Michigan $375,811.76
MD-116 Spain $221,792.06
MD-14 PA $162,324.72
MD-27 Wisconsin $145,361.56
MD-5M MN, MB, ON $126,551.07
MD-22 MD, DE, DC $95,883.03
MD-25 Indiana $82,333.71
MD-2 Texas $60,626.08
MD-24 Virginia $58,090.48
MD-26 Missouri $51,579.30
Wanted for Leader Dogs for the Blind
Volunteers to raise Leader Dog puppies
Raising a Leader Dog puppy is a year-long commitment that allows you to help a person who is blind receive a canine partner to increase their independence, safety and confidence.
Love and teach a puppy in your home.
Share an important volunteer commitment with your family.
Fulfill community service requirements for your school or organization.
Your experience will be life-changing and change a life. For more information you can visit www.leaderdog.org/volunteer/puppyraiser
or call 248/650.7108
STAY CONNECTED
LDB/Lions Liaison, Convention Speaker
Requests, Events
Lion Kathleen Breen
Manager of Lions Engagement
Phone ext. 2052,
Club Giving & Recognition, Quarterly Reports
Kathy Gilchrist
Lions Relations Specialist
Phone ext. 1112,
Michigan Lions Representative
Mike Dengate
Lions Regional Representative—Michigan
Phone ext. 1102,
Client Referrals & Information
Please contact the client services coordinators
at 888–777–5332
For speaker requests, visit
leaderdog.org/lions/toolkit/speaker
For promotional items, visit
leaderdog.org/lions/toolkit/promoitems
For upcoming events, visit
leaderdog.org/news/calendar
View our Flickr Photostream at
flickr.com/photos/leaderdog
Join us on Facebook at
facebook.com/pages/Leader-Dogs-
for-the-Blind/13251298666
Leader Dogs for the Blind
1039 S. Rochester Road
Rochester Hills, Michigan 48307
Phone: 248-651-9011
Toll Free: 888-777-5332
www.leaderdog.org