Pups for People

Oakwood High School’s Pups for People group is continuing its mission to make life a little easier for people with disabilities. For the third consecutive year, group members are raising money to help buy a service dog for a local student. This year, the group is raising money for Smith Elementary fifth-grader Lili Rodriguez.

Pups for People will hold a fundraising event March 10, from 1–3 p.m., in the West Gym at Oakwood High School. There will be carnival games, an obstacle course, silent auction items and service/ therapy dogs at the event.

Rodriguez has arthrogryposis, causing her to have joint contractures and limit her mobility.

“A service dog would help me if I was home along and I needed help to grab something,” Rodriguez said.

The Pups for People group started with seven girls in 2016, as part of a Destination Imagination challenge. In its initial project, the students raised $20,000 to help buy a service dog for classmate Ally Moran, who has spina bifida. Last year, the group was able to buy a specially trained companion dog for Kettering Fairmont wrestler Ahmad Doucet who suffered a stroke while at wrestling practice.

For more information on the group and to donate, you can go to their web page at http://pupsforpeople16.wixsite.com/mysite.