Sunday, December 25, 2016

Miracles at Chanukah!

The landscape of the east side has changed from an empty parking area to a building site, and the noise of construction has accompanied daily life at the center for the past month.  We officially marked the beginning of the construction of the new Puppy Training and Development Center on Thursday, December 22nd with a festive and moving cornerstone laying ceremony.
 
The ceremony was attended by over 80 staff members, graduates, volunteers, supporters, and officials.  Noach opened the ceremony by noting the significance of the date, which is adjacent to the first night of Chanukah when he first met Norman Leventhal, co-founder of the center in 1986, thirty years ago.  The main speaker at the ceremony was Shmuel Weinglass, Director of the National Insurance Institute Fund for the Development of Services for Persons with Disabilities that pledged financial support for the construction of the new campus. Michael Leventhal, Executive Director of the Friends Organization in the U.S. spoke on behalf of our Friends organizations abroad, and Haim Shwartz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the IGDCB spoke on behalf of the Board and Guide Dog users.  Among the many VIP's that attended were: Martin Segal, Executive Director of the UK Friends, Guy Simchi, Director of Disability Services for the Histadrut Labor Union, Michael Segal, Chairman of Eliya, Amos Beer, Director of the Central Library for the Blind, and Gila Zaidel from Ofek Liyladen. After the speeches and a short musical interlude guests lined up to sign the two scrolls – one of which was buried in the concrete foundations of the new building and the other which will be hung in the building upon its completion. 

It was a happy, emotional, and exciting day for everyone, and we are now looking forward to the day approximately a year from now when we cut the ribbon and dedicate the new campus!    
   


Saturday, December 17, 2016

At Last - We are Beginning Construction!

We are beginning to build!

Trees have been cut down, fences have been removed, there is noise and there will be chaos on campus, but we are happy: the construction of the new kennels and Puppy Breeding and Development Center is finally beginning!

This coming Thursday we will be holding a festive cornerstone laying ceremony for the new kennel and puppy breeding and development center.  The ceremony will be attended by the staff, friends, supporters, Mike Leventhal, his wife Sue, and his son Joel who will be joining us from the United States, and Martin Segal, Director of British Friends who will be arriving from London.

We look forward to this giant step in the enter's expansion and development that will enable us to provide more guide dogs in the future!