Rivers a source of inspiration to students

By CASEY RESSLER-Valley Life editor

Author Mike Dillingham and his blind sled dog, Rivers, have touched the lives of many people across the country, as they have told their story to many students, teachers and other groups.

Dillingham tells about how Rivers has overcome blindness, and how the dog's courageousness is a lesson for humans, too.

The following was written by Rosemary Parker, a fourth-grade teacher in PS 49 in Queens, N.Y. She teaches special education, and has used Rivers' tale as a learning tool for the children in her class:

"Who would have ever guessed that a chance encounter three years ago on the Blinddogs e-mail site would bring together a New York Special Education Teacher and an author from Alaska (a former New Yorker from Astoria, Queens)?

"As Mike Dillingham and I exchanged stories about our blind dogs, Rivers and my Dalmatian, Asia, we never imagined the impact Rivers would have on my Special Needs class.

"I test read Mike's first book to my class and they immediately fell in love with Rivers. Through Rivers' bravery and courage in spite of his handicap, my class made a connection. They found faith in themselves to succeed, using Rivers as their role model. They wrote letters to Rivers who wrote back to them.

"Through Mike's and his wife Mary's generosity (they sent books, buttons, maps, videos and weekly updates from Rivers) my class was motivated and inspired to work hard. I did many literacy lessons using Rivers, his book and the Iditarod as a theme. Guess what happened … their reading and writing improved, as well as their outlook. The kids wanted to give back to Rivers so one year they did a bake sale to raise money for Rivers' former musher. The next year they did the same for IMOM (who helped Rivers get his surgery). They raised over $600 for sick animals whose owners could not afford medical care for them.

"Rivers has touched their lives and hearts tremendously. They will always bring a piece of him with them for the rest of their lives. Mike and Rivers made that happen for them."