Our best friends lead the way at 9th Annual Laval 'Paws of Hope' Walk-a-Thon

Registrations, open to all ages, can be done on site, starting at 9:00 am. The walk begins at ten. The distances are 2 and 5 kilometers. A donation of $20 is requested for each participating dog.

The day's activities feature picnics, information kiosks, mini-dog shows, face-painting for kids, games and workshops. "There's no sadness at the walk. True, cancer is a shocking illness but it's incredible to see what levels of research we've reached," says Mr. Girouard.

Dogs will available for rent, courtesy of the Laval SPCA, but arrangements must be made in advance. Funds raised at the event are allocated for cancer research and for the support of those touched by the disease and their families. $38,000 is the target for this year's walk, a slight increase from the $32,000 raised in 2006.

The 'Paws of Hope' walk-a-thon was the brainchild of an employee of the Canadian Cancer Society. Today, six of these walk-a-thons are held throughout Quebec.

For more information: www.cancer.ca or (450) 973-6668.

Photo: Pattes 2

(Photo: Martin Alarie)

Photo: Pattes 1

(Photo: Martin Alarie)