Quinn has already raised more than $10,000 for Swim Across America
(Lake Ray Hubbard) May 29, 2013 – It’s not easy transporting a 165-pound dog around town, let alone one that is sopping wet from taking a dip in nearby White Rock Lake. But for Peggy Walker, the owner and handler of Quinn, a 5-year-old leonberger with webbed feet, it’s all in a day’s work.
For the past two years, Quinn has participated in Swim Across America – Dallas (SAA) open water swim to raise money in support of cancer research, swimming alongside former Olympians and cancer survivors, and raising more than $10,000 through his personal fundraising page.
“Quinn loves the water, and fortunately for us we can use his love of swimming to help people facing cancer,” Walker says, herself a cancer survivor.
Proceeds from SAA benefit the Innovative Clinical Trials Center at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas, where Quinn works as a therapy dog bringing joy and comfort to patients facing devastating diseases.
“Quinn is a celebrity everywhere he goes,” says Daniel Watters, SAA co-chair, and a member of the 1988 Olympic team. “People are a little taken aback when they first see him because he is so big, but they quickly realize he’s such a gentle giant. We are so fortunate for him to be part of our event.”
This year,Walker has set a goal for Quinn to raise $10,000, bringing his three-year total to more than $20,000.
Swim Across America will host its third annual open water swim event on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at The Harbor at Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall. Quinn will be the event’s only canine participant. Both two and four-legged participants will swim knowing that the money they have raised is staying local, and will make a tangible impact in their city.
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