Kids see what Hadley guide dog can do

By Ruth Solomon
Staff Writer

Youngsters got a chance to see what their fund-raising efforts are going for when a guide dog from the Hadley School for the Blind visited Deerfield's Moriah Congregation recently.

They are collecting funds to support a guide dog in Israel.

So Cherene Radis, assistant director of Moriah's preschool and day care, said the decision was made to have Hadley teacher Sharon Howerton bring in her guide dog, Mary Jane, a black lab.

"We wanted them to see a real guide dog. It has more of impact," Radis said. "Sharon answered all the children's questions: What is it like to be blind? Does she drive? Does the dog drive?"

Howerton said she got a guide dog for safety reasons. Mary Jane is Howerton's first guide dog.

"I was getting slower, more tense, as people aren't paying as much attention. They are all on their cell phones," said Howerton, who is 55, lives in Chicago, and has two grown sons.

Howerton explained to the children that since Mary Jane had a harness around her, she was working, and therefore should not be touched. When Howerton takes off the harness at home, Mary Jane can play and that's the time visitors may touch her, she explained.

Chicago has no place to train dogs for the blind, so Howerton researched schools across the country. She ended up at New York's Guiding Eyes for the Blind, which trained Mary Jane.

The $40,000 training was free for Howerton, thanks to donations to Guiding Eyes.

The money the Moriah children raised will go to the Israel Guide Dog Center, which buys and trains guide dogs for Israelis. About 20,000 residents of Israel are either blind or visually impaired, but only 200 have guide dogs.

One problem is that American-trained guide dogs do not understand Hebrew, and many of the blind Israelis only speak Hebrew.

The cost of buying a guide dog for the Israel Guide Dog Center is $500, Radis said.

As a fund-raiser in December, the school sold Hanukkah candles donated by Sunset Foods in Highland Park, Radis said, adding, "We sold the candles to bring light to the blind."

In all, the students raised close to $1,000, enough to pay for two guide dogs, Radis said.

Howerton told the students Mary Jane has brought joy to her life.

"I love having her around. It's like having another child. They told me, 'You've raised two kids so you can raise a dog.' And to be able to walk down the street with her is very comforting," Howerton said.