From left to right: Carl Weber, senior marketing director, Lauren Pilette, marketing manager, Molly O’Malley-Hoerner, associate marketing manager, and Sunny, puppy/guide dog in trainingWindshield wiper blade company Trico, under the First Brands Group family, announced the launch of a multi-faceted collaboration as a corporate partner with Leader Dogs for the Blind – a nonprofit that provides guide dog training and orientation for the visually impaired.
Trico made a $50,000 donation that will help Leader Dogs continue providing its comprehensive range of services free of charge to clients. The brand will also support a range of co-branded promotional and fundraising activities to further help publicize Leader Dog’s mission and initiatives.
Additionally, Trico Marketing Manager Lauren Pilette has joined the Future Leader Dog program to serve as a puppy raiser for Sunny, a seven-week-old male yellow Labrador retriever.
Over the next 11 months, Sunny will be trained every day on the fundamentals of good behavior and obedience in anticipation of being paired with a client who matches on lifestyle, travel pace, physical size, stamina and other considerations. Fans can follow Sunny’s journey on the Trico Facebook (@TricoWipers) and Instagram (@tricowipers) feeds.
“For more than a century, Trico has fulfilled a promise to improve the safety and mobility of motorists and their families through innovative, technologically advanced wiper products and accessories,” said Guy Andrysick, president of First Brands Group. “Our collaboration with Leader Dogs for the Blind perfectly synchronizes with our ongoing commitment to enabling everyone to travel safely while leading happy, independent and productive lives.”
Since 1939, Leader Dogs for the Blind has successfully matched and graduated more than 15,000 person/dog teams. Based on a 15-acre campus in Rochester Hills, Mich., Leader Dog supports a wide range of initiatives such as guide dog training, orientation and mobility training, volunteer engagement and community outreach.
