LPS fundraiser taking bite out of costs for Special Olympians

By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on May 11, 2023.

Herald photo by Delon Shurtz Const. Braylon Hyggen, lead trainer with the Lethbridge Police Service K9 unit, gets police dog Bridge to help announce a fundraising project for Special Olympics athletes who are heading to Germany next month.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com

Of all the bucket list items anyone has ever had, getting bit by a police dog probably isn’t one of them. But what if you could experience it without worrying about being hurt, or because the dog was after you for committing a crime? Still not convinced? What if it was for a good cause? A really good cause.

The Lethbridge Police Service has come up with a plan to help Special Olympic athletes compete at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Germany next Month, and all it requires is a donation, which will give the donor the opportunity and privilege of getting bit by a police dog.

Maybe you could provide a donation in the name of someone you don’t like.

Ten Special Olympic athletes from Alberta are going to the Games in Berlin, Germany, and will compete with 79 other athletes representing Team Canada.

Const. Braylon Hyggen, lead trainer of the LPS K9 unit, is also going to Germany. He, along with other law enforcement officers and Special Olympic athletes from around the world, will carry the Flame of Hope June 14-17 as they run through 16 communities toward Berlin.

To help defray the costs of the trip, the LPS is asking for donations, and offering in return three different K9 experiences, including getting chewed on by a police dog.

Bragging rights alone will be worth it.

For a $500 donation, the donor will receive a YQL K9 shirt, a handmade thank-you card from a Special Olympics athlete, and a K9 demo. The demonstration will provide a close-up look at the capabilities of a police dog from tracking and searching to apprehension.

For a $750 donation, the donor will receive a YQL K9 shirt, a handmade thank-you card from a Special Olympics athlete and the opportunity to attend a four-hour K9 training day with members of the K9 Unit and their four-legged partners. Watch the dogs in action, learn how they are trained, ask questions and participate in some of the drills. And if you want, put on a protective bite suit and feel what it’s like to face a charging canine. All perfectly safe, of course.

For $1,000, a donor will receive a YQL K9 shirt, handmade thank-you card from a Special Olympics athlete, a K9 Challenge Coin and a K9 ride along for up to 12 hours, to experience a day in the life of a K9 officer.

Choose an afternoon or night shift, during which the officer will respond to calls, and there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions, watch the dog at work, engage with officers and see what a frontline patrol shift with a four-legged partner is really like.

Hyggen, who spoke to reporters Wednesday at the police station, said he hopes to raise at least $4,000 to help Alberta’s special athletes compete in Berlin.

“This is the highlight of their careers in special events,” Hyggen said. “For many this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only put their skills to the test in their chosen sports but enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow athletes from around the world.”

Half of whatever is raised will stay in Alberta to help special athletes defray the costs of participating in events in the province, including the February 2024 National Games in Calgary.

To donate and receive the exclusive K9 experience, visit the LETR CrowdChange fundraising site at https://soa.crowdchange.ca/42203.

Donations in any amount are also gratefully accepted to support Special Olympics, and tax receipts will be provided for all contributions over $25. Those who contribute at the $500, $750 or $1,000 level will be contacted directly by Hyggen to arrange their K9 experience.

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