Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based out of Williston, Florida.  They are dedicated to rescuing, raising and training highly skilled medical service dogs for people with both visible and invisible disabilities.  It costs over $25,000 to raise and train these dogs for up to two years, depending on the skill set they are best suited for.  However, these dogs are donated at zero cost to their recipient who, upon completion of their application, evaluation and acceptance into the program, spend 10 days at headquarters.  They learn how to work with their dog and also learn what it means to have the responsibility of being the total caregiver for their dog, how to interact with the public, etc.  It’s quite a learning curve to have a four-legged Angel by your side 24/7.

Celebrate Michigan’s Military came about 9 years ago.  The attendees and money raised over the ensuing 8 years continued to grow and we are happy to report this year the net profit for Guardian Angels is around $245,000.  In total over the nine years, with Mary Lamparter’s team fund raising efforts, approximately $1,430,000 has been raised through Celebrate Michigan’s Military.