Members and friends of the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ and American Legion Post 413 worked together to raise funds for America’s VetDogs, which provides a specially trained service dog to a disabled veteran—at no charge to the veteran. Pastor EvaLyn Carlson of First Congregational, who got the project rolling, presents certificates to American Legion Post 413 Commander Don Wilson (left) and Steve Deschene (right) of the First Congregational Outreach Committee. The certificates include a photo of the Minnesota veteran who receives assistance from a VetDog.
From World War II to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Cook County is home to almost 700 veterans. Although the residents of Grand Marais honor their veterans in a variety of ways, some wanted to do more.
Pastor EvaLyn Carlson of the First Congregational United Church of Christ began to search for a way to bring together people with different theological, political, and social beliefs. No matter what their beliefs about the wars, Carlson knew that everyone could agree that veterans returning home with life-changing injuries needed their support.
Thanks to advances in battlefield medicine, service members survive injuries that would have killed them in previous conflicts. And, as the nation’s veterans age, they will need even more assistance to help them with the activities of daily living.
Teaming with American Legion Post 413 of Grand Marais, the First Congregational United Church of Christ decided to raise funds to support America’s VetDogs in its mission to provide guide and service dogs for disabled veterans of all eras, whether or not their disabilities are combat related.
America’s VetDogs provides guide dogs and training for disabled veterans with visual impairment, and service dogs for veterans and active duty personnel who need assistance with daily living activities: balance/stability, retrieval, response to alarms. VetDogs also trains combat operational stress control dogs to be deployed in theater for active military personnel; these dogs offer emotional support for those who are dealing with combat stress, home front issues, and sleep disorders. VetDogs was founded by the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind to increase its outreach to disabled veterans and address the special needs faced by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. All VetDogs’ services are provided at no cost to the veteran. The organization is supported thanks to the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, and other organizations. It does not receive government funding.
For veteran Tony Larson of St. Cloud, Minn., his service dog Tomme has been a life changer.
Deployed to Iraq as a maintenance mechanic, Larson generally worked the night shift, but as his unit prepared to leave, he was shifted to days and moved to “recovery” operations. One day, on his way back to base, the truck he was in was hit by an IED.
He was airlifted to Germany and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Doctors tried for nine months to save his leg, but unfortunately, Larson’s right leg below the knee was amputated. He then spent another nine months undergoing rehabilitation therapy. He had also suffered mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the explosion.
Larson was teamed with service dog Tomme. Tomme provides balance and stability support and retrieval. For instance, when Larson removes his prosthetic leg at the end of the day, Tomme can act as a brace if Larson needs it. The dog can also bring dropped items if Larson has difficulty reaching down to get them.
The dog also provides emotional support with his PTSD and flashbacks. “Tomme senses my mood and helps me,” he says. “He is a wonderful addition to my life. I couldn’t do it without him.”
To raise funds for VetDogs, members of the church and the Legion held bingo games and raffles, silent auctions, and staffed tables at local summer events such as the Fisherman’s Picnic, Dragon Boat Races, and the Art Festival. They also set up donation containers at various businesses who supported their efforts. Local musicians donated their talents to entertain at a monthly pasta dinner sponsored by Cheryl Walimaa at the Harbor Light Supper Club with a generous portion of the cost of the meal donated to VetDogs.
“The response by veterans and families has been incredible,” Carlson says. “People would stop by our tables and tell their stories… or just stop and talk about family members who have returned wounded.”
The church and the Legion have already raised over $10,000, which goes a long way to offsetting the $55,000 cost to raise and train one guide dog service dog—from birth to puppy raising to formal training to placement with a veteran and aftercare support. There is never a cost to a disabled veteran for a trained assistance dog from America’s VetDogs.
Throughout the winter, Windigo Lodge and Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail continued to collect, providing substantial “seed money” for the fundraising that will begin again in the late spring.
Carlson added, “There are many ways of donating to this incredible program for vets from making a donation in memory of or in recognition of a special veteran, purchase raffle tickets, enjoy a meal, or come on out to the Legion for a fun night of bingo and dinner. Watch for the ads in the paper or on Boreal. We may not be able to help all the combat wounded vets who are protecting us, but we can make a difference in at least one life.”
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