Angel on a Leash by David Frei

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    The Best in Show Benefit was back at the Affinia in 2010, hosted again by Ruth in a sold-out room. In 2011, with so many of the dogs hitting senior-citizen status, the party was changed to an awards affair for current Angel On A Leash teams. Ruth’s party has become a wonderful annual event that we all have come to anticipate with great excitement every February.
    In 2011 as well, an additional event was staged as an Angel On A Leash benefit. “Big City, Little Dog” was staged at the New Yorker Hotel and featured a fashion show for local celebrities and their dogs. New York City’s New Yorkie pet apparel dressed the runway pups in its new spring line. Schmitty the Weather Dog and meteorologist Ron Trotta (the official weather team for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show) were among the New York personalities and celebrities who walked the runway to raise money for Angel On A Leash.
    Elly McGuire and Ron chaired the event with huge support from the New Yorker Hotel. As my Aunt Caroline always wrote in her letters, a good time was had by all.
    Angel has also enjoyed a number of other unique fundraisers through the years. For example, America’s top ballroom dancers were the stars of “Ballroom Unleashed” in 2010, a beautiful event produced by Melanie LaPatin and Tony Meredith, the acclaimed choreographers of So You Think You Can Dance. From 2006 to 2009, Doyle New York Gallery’s chairman and CEO Kathleen M. Doyle and senior vice president Louis Webre hosted a champagne brunch benefit in their private preview of the gallery’s annual “Dogs in Art” sale. And in 2008, the second-grade class at New York City’s PS 87, taught by Bebe Morrissey, produced a successful walkathon in Central Park.

    Every fall, Ronald McDonald House New York holds a block party in its Upper East Side neighborhood to share its work and its accomplishments with the neighbors. The therapy dog program is always a big part of the event. We had our own table, and we would tell people about our work at the House and recruit new volunteers. Cherilyn would always put on a blessing of the animals, and that brought out a lot of the neighbors and their pets.
    In 2010, Cherilyn helped engineer the proclamation of New York State Therapy Dog Day for October 2, the day of the block party. The proclamation, presented by State Senator Liz Krueger, recognized the partnership of Ronald McDonald House New York and Angel On A Leash in providing a therapy dog program for the young pediatric oncology patients and their families.
    The proclamation by State Senator Krueger read:
    WHEREAS, Ronald McDonald House of New York, Inc., provides a temporary “home-away-from-home” for pediatric cancer patients and their families in a supportive and caring environment, which encourages and nurtures the development of child-to-child and parent-to-parent support systems; and
    WHEREAS, Ronald McDonald House of New York, Inc., is the largest facility of its type in the world; and
    WHEREAS, on October 2nd, 2010, Ronald McDonald House of New York is hosting its Third Annual Block Party, featuring food, live music, entertainment, safety awareness, health screenings, and educational programs, on East 73rd Street between First and York Avenues; and
    WHEREAS, the Ronald McDonald House New York-Angel On A Leash program provides therapy dogs for pediatric cancer patients and their families; and
    WHEREAS, Angel On A Leash enhances health and quality of life through play and enrichment activities which promote the human-animal bond, and
    WHEREAS, therapy dogs help boost morale, self-esteem, and overall feelings of well-being for those dealing with chronic and life-threatening illnesses; and
    WHEREAS, studies have shown that petting a dog releases beneficial hormones into the bloodstream known to be associated with healing and feelings of well-being; and
    WHEREAS, by