WEDNESDAY, JULY 19,2006 CAMPUS
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 11
rolling around for her dog
BY DANI HURST - DHURST@KANSAN.COM - KANSAN STAFF WRITER - PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BICKEL
(top right) Lorraine Cannistra gives her service dog, Marshall, a pat on the head after completing a 15-mile Roll-a-Ton to raise money so that Marshall could have surgery to repair a torn ACL. Cannistra, who has been affected by cerebral palsy since birth, has had Marshall for nearly 10 years. When he was younger, Marshall helped pull Cannistra around and picked things up off the floor for her. Although he can't help Cannistra as much because of his age, she said he was still a good campion and friend.
(above) Lorraine Cannistra, Lawrence resident, flies downhill during her Roll-a-Thon. Cannistra wheeled for almost 12 hours last Saturday and raised more than $2,000 for Marshall's surgery.
(left) Whitney Fasbender, Cheney sen-
lor, signs a card Saturday morning for
Lorraine Cannistra. Fasbender is one of
two caregivers for Cannistra, and has
worked for her this summer helping out
around her home.
Lorraine Cannistra completed the last mile of her 15-mile Roll-A-Thon 12 hours and six minutes after she began her first mile. Before the event began, she wasn't even sure she was going to make it all the way through. However, despite the sore muscles, blisters and sun burn, after it was all done, she said she felt "great."
People came to cheer her on and to see the dog that inspired a woman with cerebral palsy to wheel 15 miles to raise money for the dog's surgery to fix his torn ACL.
At the end of day, the plastic donation jar held nearly $650, a nice contribution towards her goal of $2000.
To the people who passed by the Naismith Valley Park trail, 24th and Naismith, on that muggy Saturday, the donation table might have looked like a lemonade stand, just without the lemonade. Colorful posters were tape to a small fold-out table and a clear plastic jar with some white paper taped to it sat atop the wooden surface. A girl was standing behind the table. A dog was lying in the grass nearby wearing a big floppy yellow shirt and a blue bandana.
Upon closer inspection, however, the posters became clearer and the figures made more sense. The posters had things like "Thank You" and "Keep Pushing, Lorraine!" written on them. The little white paper taped to the jar said "Donations for Marshall." The back of the girl's shirt read "Team Marshall." The back of the dog's shirt read "Team Mascot."
The girl was one of Cannistras caregivers, Kate Stickle, who recently graduated from the University of Kansas, and has worked for
Cannistra for nearly two years, doing odd jobs for Cannistra, such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping.
Stickle said she thought Marshall was a great dog, and that this event was a good idea.
"It's very exciting. I'm glad she's doing it," Stickle said.
15 miles.
"Marshall loved the attention," Cannistra said after the event.
"He makes me laugh. We're just very close," Camnistra said. "We have a bond that is almost closer than anything I've had with anyone."
After each lap, whenever Marshall spotted Cannistra coming down the trail, he would gingerly stand up, take his leash in his mouth and lumber to her, wagging his tail the whole way. Cannistra was all smiles when he came near, and they slowly traveled back to the table together.
The tape holding the posters to the table was curling, as were the edges of the signs tacked to trees up and down the trail announcing the Roll-A-Thon.
The Cheney senior said that Marshall was "the sweetest thing ever." She talked about how he pawed people to get attention, liked to jump into bed with Cannistra and the love hed brought into Cannistra's life.
closer than anything. Whitney Fasbender, another of Cannistra's caregivers, walked alongside Cannistra for the first three and a half laps, but had to leave early to go to a wedding. However, she, too, thought that the Roll-A-Thon was a good idea.
Marshall lay in the grass with his shirt, bandana and metal water dish, looking expectantly up the trail. His eyes hardly ever left the spot where, at any second now, his friend would appear and roll back to him. He panted and waited patiently, distracted only by his thirst, or the occasional visitor who came to see the dog that inspired a woman to wheel
"Marshall means the world to her. She'd do anything for him."
"I think it's a great thing she's doing." Fasbender said.
Cannistra started her Roll-A-Thon at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday when the heat and humidity was less prominent. As the sun rose higher, however, so did the temperature. By 8:50 a.m., just after completing the third lap of the four and a half mile trail, parts of Cannistras shirt were soaked with sweat and she looked a little worn out. She was still smiling, though.
WHITNEY FASBENDER
Caregiver for Lorraine Cannistra
Donations can still be made to the Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital, 4340 Clinton Parkway. The hospital is keeping the running total of the donations for Marshall. As of July 18, the running total exceeds the $2000 goal. Extra money after the surgery will be saved for Marshall's future hospital bills.
Marshall's surgery hasn't been scheduled yet, but a consultation will be next week.
We have made enough for the surgery and then some" Seth Mullis, veterinary assistant at the hospital, said.
—Edited by Adrienne Bommarito
YCDE