Sixty years ago, the Lions Club answered the request of Helen Keller to be kind to the blind, which is the club’s mission statement. The club’s success was demonstrated at the 10th annual Spring Fling at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, as speaker Megan Dausch used her fingers to read her speech off a small Braille machine on the podium. At her side was her guide dog, Buddy, with husband, Glenn, seated nearby.
Newlyweds Megan and Glenn Dausch have been married a year and met through their mothers, who shared information with each other on how to bring up blind children. Both are college graduates: Megan teaches at the Adaptive Technology Center at the Helen Keller National Center near Sands Point and Glenn is a technology specialist at Stony Brook University.
“We both like the technological side of things,” Glenn said. “Having a dog is an individual decision. For me, I’m comfortable with my cane.”
Glenn, who sees the world in “light and dark,” said he is confident to travel with his white cane.
“At 10, I walked with a guide dog for the first time,” Megan said, noting how she enjoyed how securely they walked together.
She decided she would want a guide dog in the future and applied for one after college. On July 9, 2008, she met Buddy and started a month-long training, which involved walking in shopping malls and on the crowded streets of Queens. Since then she has gone to Boston and taken Buddy on trains, buses and a horse and carriage ride.
“Buddy gave me the capability to explore places,” Megan said.
She said when she’s in a store with only a vague idea of where the door is, “I encourage Buddy to do it, and he goes, tail swishing through the air, through people, to the door, and I don’t have to ask for assistance or wander. Buddy was there when I tried on my wedding dress. Because of him I glide smoothly along hallways with no bumping. Buddy has taught me to grow in confidence. I direct Buddy and he safely navigates me.”
She thanked the Lions and their friends for their support of the program.
Lion Lou Honored
Lion Louis Varricchio was honored for his 50 years of service to the club. Oyster Bay-born and raised, he attended Farmingdale College, served in the Air Force and returned to work with his dad in the family business, Varricchio Plumbing. In 1959, he started General Utilities, a heating oil company, and in 1964, Ed Minicozzi, Sr. joined as a partner and Varricchio took ownership of the plumbing business. In 1979, he sold his portion of General Utilities and continued to operate Varricchio Plumbing until he retired and sold the business in 2012.
“Over the years, I have enjoyed attending meetings and I just hope I will be able to continue with the work and support the Lions as well as I can, as long as I can,” said Varricchio.
Centre Island Mayor Larry Schmidlapp was the auctioneer raffling off prizes, ending with—for the 10th year—a print by Mort Künstler, who said, “It may be the last Civil War painting I do.”
The painting is of General Lee leaving the Appomattox Court House after signing the surrender to General Grant.
“The regular edition is virtually sold out,” said Künstler.
In addition to the Guide Dog Foundation, the Lions support Bowling for the Blind, the Boys & Girls Club, Camp Badger, Camp Sunshine, Cancer Center for Kids, Celia Flower Foundation, Diabetic Education, The Life Enrichment Center of Oyster Bay, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, INN Food Pantry, Lions Eye Bank, Visions Camp for the Blind and Youth & Family Services.
