Laura Parrish with Enya.

Laura Parrish of Southwest Roanoke County graduated recently with a female Black Labrador Retriever Guide Dog named Enya at her side.

The duo completed several weeks of intensive training at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, Calif. Graduation took place on Saturday, Aug. 28, at the 11-acre campus, located 20 miles north of San Francisco.

Graduates of Guide Dogs harness the incredible power of the human-animal bond. These remarkable canines offer warm companionship, safe mobility and foster confidence and independence. Laura enjoys spending time with her family and 16 grandchildren. She also likes to travel.

During the course of training, skilled Guide Dogs and their new partners learn to negotiate stairways, elevators, overhead obstacles, crowded sidewalks and busy streets. The dogs are trained to avoid distractions and disobey commands to cross a street if traffic is approaching.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is more than a school -- it is a community dedicated to providing people who are blind with the opportunity to experience what a powerful partnership with a Guide Dog can mean -- not only to mobility, but to quality of life. It is the only school in the country that has built its program around both the functional and personal aspects of a Guide Dog partnership.

The school is committed to matching each person with the right dog, developing a personalized training program matched to each person's lifestyle, and providing unprecedented support services to establish a true life-long partnership.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has produced more than 10,000 trained guides for graduates across the United States and Canada since 1942. There are currently more than 2,000 people with vision loss enjoying the comfort, companionship and safety of these exceptional dogs.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a nonprofit organization supported entirely by private, charitable donations and the time and talents of dedicated staff members, puppy raisers and other volunteers working together toward a common mission. For more information, contact Guide Dogs for the Blind via the internet at www.guidedogs.com and/or toll-free at (800) 295-4050.

Submitted by Guide Dogs for the Blind

Meadowlark Road celebrates block party

While many of us were dreading the end of summer, some in Roanoke County celebrated. Laura Savinda invited SWoCo to Meadowlark Road's 6th annual end of summer block party on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 5 p.m.

She said they have an end of the summer block party every year, as well as a kickoff to summer block party as well. About 10 to 15 families on the block participate. The neighbors block off the cul-de-sac and have a cookout and games for the kids right in the heart of the neighborhood.

Some of those families who participate include Laura, George, Cayton and Raygan Savinda; Lisa, Mark and Ethan Arrington; Marylynn, Bobby, Erin and Bryce Fothergill; Tessa, Ryan, Charlie, Jack, and Sam Urgo; Jeannine, Chris, Garrett, and Madison Johnson; Jane Hill; Dottie, Steve, and Lilian Darist; Heavenor Walters; and Sandy Manetta.

-- Emily Flora

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