Rail Trail Fundraiser for Guide Dog with Julie Woods

Ever since she went blind in 1997, the Blind Foundation has supported Julie Woods.

So, when Rural Women New Zealand asked her to ride the Otago Central Rail Trail with our members to raise funds to train a guide dog, she says there was only one response she could give: “Why not! “

Julie says in 1997 when blindness first struck she was a young mother, married with two children aged three and one.

“Not once did the Blind Foundation say no to me. They upskilled me to get back into the kitchen, they taught me how to touch type and read braille. They put a white cane in my hand and showed me how to use it! Nowadays, they help me, and 11,500 other blind New Zealanders be the best blind people we can be!

This is the fifth time Rural Women members have cycled and walked the Otago Central Rail Trail in a ‘Triple F Challenge‘ – fitness, fun and friendship. Each time they support a charity of choice. This year around 90 members and friends will be hitting the trail from Clyde to Middlemarch between 17 and 19 April.

As well as cycling the trail on a tandem with her husband, Julie will be an after-dinner speaker.

The funds raised will be used to train a puppy and match it to a suitable blind person. The goal is to raise $30,000.  You can contribute, even if you’re not taking part in the ride.

Go to Julie Woods’ Everyday Hero webpage for more information and the opportunity to make a donation.

Read more about Julie Woods, aka ‘That Blind Woman’ and ‘The Queen of Cooking without Looking’.

Thanks to Trail Journeys for their support of this event.