Spirit Lake Carolina Elementary (LCE) School has chosen Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) as one of their service learning projects for 2009. As part of their Dog Days of January celebration, LCE will host a dog walk January 24 at the school from 10 am- 12 pm at 1151 Kelly Mill Rd. in Blythewood, SC. Registration is $15.

Participants without dogs will be given a stuffed dog on a leash to "walk" in support of PAALS. All registrations will receive free snacks, hot chocolate, and coffee.

Students from LCE have worked hard to support PAALS. Last year, the students raised enough money to become a name sponsor for a service puppy in training. They named the four month old puppy Spirit. He has already appeared on their morning news show.

This year, in addition to collecting much needed supplies for PAALS, each class is collecting loose change and competing during weekly weigh ins on the school television show.

Each collection's weight of change is compared to a corresponding breed of dog. LCE has reported that most classes have raised more than a yorkie's weight.

LCE's recycling club also assisted PAALS. Students handed out recycled plastic shopping bags to shoppers at Earthfare to reduce the use of more bags as shoppers checked out. Earthfare donated ten cents per bag brought to the register. "During these unstable economic times, when nonprofit donations are down, it is especially inspiring to see these students make a difference and to let them see a direct impact in their community," said PAALS executive director.

PAALS' mission is to enrich and empower children and adults with physical disabilities and social needs by training service animals and providing animal assisted educational and recreational activities.

PAALS overall goal is to train assistance animals to help individuals with disabilities other than blindness or deafness. These animals help with a vast array of tasks to assist with physical disabilities, and social needs, by turning on lights for someone in a wheelchair or applying calming pressure to the lap of a child with autism.

PAALS is a 501c3 non- profit organization and a provisional member of the Assistance Dogs International (ADI). They are the only ADI affiliated program in the state of South Carolina. To learn more about how you can become a part of this exciting organization please visit our website at: www.paals.org or call us at (803) 788-7063.