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Dogs -- A Fundraiser's Best Friend By Rhoda Amon Staff Writer October 18, 2003 Baylee weighs 29 pounds and is a couple weeks short of her 5th birthday, but she's already proven herself the best friend of Long Island fund-raisers. The amiable beagle, a player in the hottest trend in fund-raising -- dog walks -- will be taking her 10th walk for charity when she joins the Paws for Parkinson's parade Oct. 26 in Marjorie Post Park in Massapequa. In these slow economic times, when fund-raising is tougher than pulling teeth, dogs such as East Northport dentist Paul Silverman's miniature poodle, Sam, are pulling in pledges. The event will test whether a dog walk can bring in more funding than a people-only event. The local chapters of the American Parkinson Disease Association, which raised $50,000 for Parkinson's research in a people walkathon last year, is turning to the dogs this year in hopes of reaching another breed of donor. Organizations such as the Smithtown-based Guide Dog Foundation have found that the dog walk grows in popularity each year. Last year's Community Dog Walk drew a record 600 dogs and raised $75,000, said Michelle Lavitt, spokeswoman for the foundation. The sixth annual dog walk will be held Sunday in Flowerfield Fairground in St. James. The dog walk trend has given rise to the multiple-dog walker. Though she's a spokeswoman for the Parkinson's association, Baylee's owner, Virginia Cravotta of Bethpage, says she and Baylee walk for any worthy cause. "The dog walk brings out the best in people," Cravotta said. The chapters will also seek to help dogs who need a home by inviting local animal shelters to show off some of their appealing residents, said Eileen Giannetti, Nassau information and referral coordinator. Threatening weather held down the numbers at the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation's first "Paws to Remember" at Gardiner County Park in West Islip last month, but the 100 dogs and owners who turned up at the event raised more than $20,000 and enjoyed the "fun events," said spokeswoman Carol Steinberg. The Long Island Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which drew 300 dogs and raised $47,000 at its Pooch Parade in Wantagh State Park last spring, expects to add a second site in the Hamptons and double those numbers next September, said Christine Thomaides, director of development. "People like to show off their dogs." SOURCE: Newsday http://tinyurl.com/rf00 * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn