Weigel’s third annual fundraising event for Smoky Mountain Service Dogs benefits veterans.
Weigel’s recently completed its 3rd annual fundraising event to benefit the Smoky Mountain Service Dogs “More Wags for Warriors” campaign.
This three week fundraising event was selected to reflect on the importance of Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day.
“More Wags for Warriors” is a capital campaign created to build a larger training facility in the 10-acre site in Lenoir City, Tenn. It represents Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, a local non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the physical and psychological quality of life for veterans with service related disabilities through the training and placement of highly-trained service dogs
The program provides, at no charge to veterans in need, specially trained service dogs to aid in assistance and companionship. Dogs are trained for many Veteran-related disabilities such as providing navigation and assisting in mobility. The cost to raise and train just one service dog is approximately $22,000 before they can be matched to a veteran.
“It is has been our goal to raise the funds to train one service dog, and be able to have more service dogs available for our local veterans thru this program based in Lenoir City, Tenn., said Bill Weigel, chairman of Weigel’s. “We are excited that our customers and employees have made it possible to raise and train one service dog, and honored to be able to aid the men and women who have served our country with a fundraising event whose mission is to bring them a better quality of life. It’s a small step for us in a much larger picture to help those that have so unselfishly sacrificed for all of us,” added Weigel.
Smoky Mountain Service Dogs was established in October of 2010, and placed its first service dog in 2013.They have served over 25 veterans and their families.
Weigel’s operates 66 convenience stores, a dairy and a bakery, all within a 100-mile radius of corporate headquarters in Powell, Tenn.
