A Wonderful Way of Fundraising: The Story of Ricochet

Today I'm going to tell the story of a wonderful way of fundraising. It combines love and patience along with the creative discovery of purpose. We all know how our hearts melt with the energy and antics of a beloved animal. This is the story of a golden retriever who was supposed to be a service dog. In that purpose she failed. Failure led her to a new purpose, perhaps even more valuable than the first. Even though she loved to chase birds too much to become a service dog, she exceled in the unusual sport of "canine surfing". Here is the story of Ricochet. It's a good name as you will see.

The video's and sites listed here tell the story of Surf dog Ricochet’s (Rip Curl Ricki's -- a Golden Retriever) inspirational journey from a failure at service dog training that leads to a joyful new direction.

She surfs in contests and also surfs with quadriplegic surfer, Patrick Ivison, Her fundraising for charitable causes is portrayed in this set of videos on youtube and on other sites. Many other videos of Ricochet can be found on docchat's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/docchat Another informative location is Ricochet's web page at: http://www.ripcurlricki.com.

She has raised over $10,000 for Patrick Ivison's physical therapy and a grant from WebMD has provided Patrick with an additional three-year grant for physical therapy. Her fundraising activities have also provided the funding for Patrick's service dog.

Also follow Ricochet on Facebook. Search for "Surf Dog Ricochet" or paste: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-Dog-Ricochet/178108649370 into your browser's window.

This is an excellent example of turning disappointment into success. After all, we learn from and build on our mistakes. Our purpose in life is discovered often in a long series of trial and error efforts. This effort combined with patience and love teaches us what our true calling is in life. There are many ways we can serve others. Even with disabilities and limitations there are an infinite number of ways to help. All of us can learn from Ricochet's inspirational journey. She loves what she does with all her heart. If only we could follow her and her owners lessons. What purpose do we have here that opens our lives to empowering others with our love?