GDUI
Convention 2009
The GDUI Suite will be open from
Saturday afternoon, July 4 until Thursday, July 9th. Browse the
silent auction items on display. Bid on
items until Tuesday evening at 7PM. Dog-related products will be on sale, and
guide dogs and their handlers can relax in the suite; a vet tech will assist
with nail trimming, ear cleaning, minor skin ailments, etc. Schedule dog
massages, too.
SUNDAY, JULY 5
12:00 PM - Hotel and area orientation.
Your favorite guide dog instructors teach you how to teach your dogs the best
convention routes; guaranteed to get you where you need to be on time and in
one piece.
2:30 PM - Affiliate Roundup – This
meeting is REQUIRED for affiliate representatives to be credentialed to vote at
the GDUI business meeting.
4:00 PM – GDUI board Meeting
5:00 PM - Hotel and area orientation
MONDAY, JULY 6
7:00 AM - GDUI Breakfast Club. Visit a
nearby restaurant for a delicious fast break from the hotel, and be back just
in time for general session. Breakfast Club is an official GDUI option Monday
through Thursday; canine teams and cane travelers welcome. We will be walking
to Denny’s, which is about 5 minutes from the hotel.
1:30 Pm - GDUI Opening Ceremonies
2:00 PM - Public speaker, teacher, and
author Kathie Nimmer discusses her current book project, entitled Two Plus Four Equals
One. The book is a collection of stories about people with disabilities and
their service dogs. The title playfully illustrates the idea that two human
feet plus four puppy paws come together to form one working partnership.
2:30 PM - Chip
8:00 PM - GDUI/ CUSDGS Reception -
Curious about the guide dog lifestyle? The Council of US Dog Guide Schools
joins GDUI to warmly welcome current and potential guide dog users. Speak directly
with representatives from various guide dog schools. Join contemporary guide
dog teams for game show fun and appetizers. Guest speaker Sgt. Major Jesse
Acosta, an Iraqi War Veteran, will share his perspective on the benefits of guide
dog partnership.
TUESDAY, JULY 7
7:00 AM - GDUI Breakfast Club
1:30 PM – ACB Caucus
2:30 PM - GDUI Business Meeting –
Discussion, debate, and vote of GDUI Constitution.
7:00 PM - GDUI Silent Auction Bidding
Closes
8:00 PM - Casual evening stroll. Meet
in lobby.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
7:00 AM - GDUI Breakfast Club
12:30 PM - GDUI Luncheon - Keynote
Speaker: Ronnie Graves. As a nationally recognized expert in designing and
creating prosthetics for animals, Ronnie has successfully fitted dogs, horses,
ducks, and farm animals with artificial limbs. His passion for animal rescue
led him to create Sumter Disaster Animal Response Team. His trailers, once used
to transport his drag race vehicles, are now retrofitted with oxygen monitors,
ventilation systems, video feeds, and audio.
He has responded to every headline making disaster in the last decade,
to transport thousands of abandoned animals. Sometimes, under the shroud of
secrecy, authorities request Ronnie’s organization to respond to remove and
relocate animals recovered from puppy mills and criminal enterprises.
2:30 – GDUI Live Auction. Raise those bids,
and raise a toast or two for a chance on a new GW Micro BookSense,
dog care products
(Frontline), hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, and baskets of cheer plus other must have treasures. It’s
for a really good cause, GDUI’s treasury.
8:00 PM - Rally- Join us to
ramp up the fun factor! Our original and interactive game of “Juno Can Do It!”
will partner up small groups of teams with an instructor. The live audience and
prizes motivate us and our guides.
THURSDAY, JULY 10
7:00 AM - GDUI Breakfast Club
1:30 PM - Canine
Companions for
Veterinary Care Contact
(407) 876-4461
Emergency Veterinary
Contact.
To pre-order dog food for the
convention, Call
Christopher Diiorio at 412-390-6471, or email chris@doodlescoopers.com.
The deadline for ordering is
June 19.