'Taking Our Shot' 5K to benefit juvenile diabetes

DINGMANS FERRY — On Sunday, May 3, the Lordi family will be hosting the third annual "Taking Our Shot at Inspiring Hope" 5K at Camp Speers Eljabar YMCA in Dingmans Ferry. All proceeds will benefit Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers (SDWR) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m. There will be awards for walkers and runners, a basket raffle, a kids’ fun run, refreshments and more.

The cost is $20 for pre-registered adults and $15 for pre-registered students under 18. Registration the day of the race is $25. The course is a trail course with challenges for all types of athletes.

Chris and Leslie Lordi’s daughter Josephine was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on Oct. 19, 2012. They received Josie’s diabetic alert dog Zoey on May 30. Zoey alerts Josie to fluctuations in her blood sugar and helps manage her Type 1 Diabetes by keeping her from experiencing dramatic and dangerous shifts in blood glucose levels.

Diabetic Alert Dogs are a relative newcomer to the service dog scene. Most people are only aware of guide dogs for the blind and dogs for mobility. SDWR has appointed the Lordi family to be ambassador’s for the organization to help educate your community about this type of life-saving health management tool — in the form of four furry paws and a cold nose.

SDWR is a Virginia based service dog organization that is the provider of quality Labrador retrievers bred specifically for scent detection, such as medical alert work. SDWR’s mission is to help assist individuals and families who are seeking to bring a service dog into their lives to help combat the effects of an invisible disability. Donations benefit SDWR to further this mission.

To pre-register online or for more information visit https://lordic.wix.com/takingourshot.