Geauga County – Michael Hingson visits GCPL at the Newbury Auditorium (14775 Auburn Road / Newbury) on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2 p.m. to share his inspirational story of how he escaped from the World Trade Center on 9/11 with his seeing-eye dog Roselle. Their story inspired Hingson’s book Thunder Dog. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Hingson’s new seeing-eye dog, Africa, who will happily sign “pawtographs.” Come early to meet Geauga County’s first responders and service animals.
Noon – 1:45 p.m.: Indoor / outdoor activities include live demonstrations:
• Therapy dogs and Reading to Rover dogs
• Guiding Eyes for the Blind dogs on site
• Search-and-rescue dogs
• Deputy Jim Fields with his working miniature horse Rick O’Shay
• Local first responders (fire trucks, sheriff deputies)
• Sidewalk chalk drawing areas
• Club Ink tattoo station
• Coloring station
• Bookmobile Fun Bus
• Chardon’s King Kone ice cream truck will be selling ice cream.
• Kettle corn sales to benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
• iSTEM Geauga Early College High School will be demonstrating its mobile 3D printer.
• Mac’s Backs Bookstore will be selling Hingson’s books.
2 p.m.: Hingson and his dog Africa tell the story of “Teamwork, trust, and vision – Surviving 9/11” inside Newbury Auditorium.
Hingson’s book about his escape, Thunder Dog, is a New York Times bestseller. Mac’s Backs will be on site to sell books. This event is free and open to the public. Registration required at GeaugaLibrary.net. This event is made possible by the generosity of the Geauga County Library Foundation in partnership with the Cleveland Sight Center.
Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author and global speaker. Blind since birth, Hingson defied expectations even in his early life, performing extremely well in high school and receiving both the Eagle Scout rank and the highest honor of Vigil in Boy Scouts. When he was 14 years old, Hingson was given his first guide dog, teaching him the important lessons of leadership, trust, teamwork, and adaptation, among others. This aided him in his sales career and beyond, most notably when Hingson trusted and worked with his guide dog Roselle to lead him down 78 flights of stairs during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Hingson is an international speaker who delivers more than 100 speeches annually to a variety of organizations and businesses. Not only does Hingson share his story, he also teaches audience members how to be effective leaders in their own lives. Hingson works with the National Federation of the Blind as an Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign and was an Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards. He has appeared on Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, and many other stations and television shows. Hingson’s book about his escape, Thunder Dog, became a bestseller in its first week of publication. He has also written a children’s book, Running with Roselle.
This program is free, but registration required at GeaugaLibrary.net
