Surf Dog Raises $10,000 for Quadriplegic Patrick Ivison & 3 Years of Therapy

SAN DIEGO, CA, November 17, 2009… Ricochet, (“Rip Curl Ricki,”) the Surfin’ for Paws-abilities surf dog, who has been leading a fundraising campaign over the last three months for Patrick Ivison, a 15 year old quadriplegic adaptive surfer, has raised more than $10,000 for his medical expenses! In addition, with the help of a grant from the WebMD Health Foundation, three years of his physical therapy will be funded!

Ricochet was winning surf dog contests over the last few months as she fundraised for Patrick, but raising over $10,000, along with the WebMD Health Foundation grant, is her biggest “prize” of all. Ricochet worked hard to create awareness for Patrick in his quest to continue his physical therapy which insurance doesn’t cover.
When WebMD Health Foundation caught wind of the story, they wanted to support Ricochet’s efforts, and offered her a sponsorship. They were also thrilled to help Patrick reach his goal of walking across the stage at his high school graduation, and are awarding a grant to the non profit organization that manages Patrick’s medical expenses. This commitment, and very generous grant from WebMD Health Foundation will pay for over three years of Patrick’s physical therapy!

Patrick and Ricochet started this journey together in August, when they performed their first tandem surf session between an adaptive surfer and a dog as part of the fundraising activities. The pair will continue their tandem surfing demonstrations, but will focus on paying it forward by helping others in need.

Ricochet has several other projects in the pipeline too, which include volunteering with Life Rolls On, and their award winning program, “They will Surf Again”. She will also be working with Happy Barrels Surf School and Wheels 2 Water to help raise awareness of surfers with disabilities. When Ricochet isn’t in the water, she’ll be working with children through Pawsitive Teams goal assisted therapy program. She is also looking at additional opportunities where she can educate, create awareness, and inspire people to realize anything is possible!

Ricochet was slated to be a service dog for people with disabilities, but had to be released from that role due to her strong drive to chase birds, which could be dangerous to a person with a disability. Rather than focus on what she couldn’t do, the emphasis was placed on what she COULD do, and the Surfin’ for Paws-abilities program was carved out for her. To see a touching video of Ricochet’s journey from service dog to SURFice dog, visit this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

WebMD Health Foundation is a private foundation and is dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare through education, access, and innovative collaborations.
Note to Media: For more information, please contact Judy Fridono at 707-228-0679, or pawinspired@aol.com. www.ripcurlricki.com