TORONTO, Aug. 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - «After Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michel Garant has already completed more than 5,000 kilometres on his strong arm bike in the hope that more physically challenged people like him, will have access and will be given a Mira Service Dog! »
Accompanied by Mollo, his faithful Mira Service Dog, Michel will be at the Eaton Center located at 220 Yonge Street, Dundas Square entrance, in downtown Toronto August 2nd 2012, at 12 o'clock to meet the community.
Left physically challenged following an unfortunate snowboarding accident 8 years ago, Michel has maintained his contagious Joie de vivre and is more active and happier than ever. With this endeavour of 83 cities, 7,302 km in 90 days that started in Vancouver on June 9, Michel will be the first paraplegic athlete to cross Canada on a strong arm bike and for a cause.
The task is daring, but Michel is determined to bring awareness to all Canadians about the fact that Mira offers free services by providing top quality specially trained dogs to individuals with one or many visual or motor disabilities, and to children presenting Pervasive Development Disorders such as autism.
Michel reiterates that Mira has given 46 dogs to Canadians living outside of Quebec and the Maritimes. In fact, 18 of Mira's Service Dogs have been given in the Greater Toronto Area. For 30 years Mira has been relentlessly dedicating all its efforts to human dignity and social integration of physically challenged people. Mira genuinely believes that there are no obstacles, boundaries nor social differences in providing them support and strives every day to make a significant contribution to this universal reality.
Michel is reaching out to millions of Canadians to donate to the Mira Foundation as he passes through their community. His aim is simply to create awareness, so that more physically challenged citizens of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area will be given a Mira Service Dog.
The avant-garde vision of its founder Eric St-Pierre has made Mira a pioneer and a precursor in training Service Dogs for physically challenged people in a unique and innovative way. Each year, 180 new handicapped people are served, and follow-up services are provided to the users of over 800 dogs already in service. Mira has provided 2,000 guide dogs and service dogs since 1981. Each dog represents an investment of $30,000 and is given free of charge.
The Mira Foundation is a non-profit organization and receives no government funding; its annual financing depends entirely on fundraising events organized by thousands of volunteers and generous donors.
We thank you in advance for considering this news and spreading the word.
SOURCE: MIRA FOUNDATION
Michel Cloutier (514) 293-4906
Director, Event and Communications
Michel Garant's Challenge for Mira
[email protected]
www.mira.ca
www.michelgarant.com
Share this article