The Food Lion store at 835 Williamson Road will host a ceremony at 11:00am/et Tuesday [May 20th – Today] at which Stuart Arnold, 14, who has cerebral palsy, will receive a Canine Assistants service dog. Steve Park, driver of the Winston Cup Richard Childress Racing/America Online Racing #30 car, will participate in the presentation. He will give Stuart autographed NASCAR memorabilia and will sign autographs for fans for an hour after the presentation. Food Lion and the Milk-Bone dog food company made the donation possible. Stuart lives in Charlotte and uses a wheelchair. The dog, valued at more than $10,000, will undergo specialized training to meet Stuart’s needs. Stuart will receive his dog after extensive training and attending an instructional camp with the dog. At the ceremony, the public also will learn more about service dogs and how they help people with physical disabilities. Canine Assistants, a nonprofit organization founded in 1991, trains dogs to assist children and adults with physical disabilities and other special needs. Canine Assistants dogs are either rescued young adult dogs or are puppies raised at their facilities.( Charlotte Observer )(5-20-2003)
