Help Neptune’s 4-Year-Old Gio Raise Money for Service Dogs

A family from Neptune is raising money in support of service dogs for autistic children.

I got a message from someone who wanted to tell me about their best friend. Her name is Jennifer Giordano. She's a working mother of three, breast cancer survivor, and an autism mama from Neptune.

Jennifer's 4-year-old son Giovanni has severe autism. He is an "eloper," which means he has no sense of danger and frequently bolts towards dangerous situations, such as busy parking lots or crowded streets. To keep him safe, the family has special locks on all of their doors to prevent him from getting outside.

Jennifer, along with friends and family, is raising money for BluePath Service Dogs. A service dog, specifically trained to keep kids safe will change Gio's while life and open him up to a whole new world. When out in public, he's always strapped into something for his safety. The gift of a BluePath service dog will provide him with companionship, and opportunities for independence all while remaining safe.

Each BluePath dog comes with thousands of hours of training from dedicated volunteers and professional staff. The cost to prepare these incredible dogs is upwards of $40,000, yet thanks to the generosity of supporters, BluePath service dogs are provided free of charge.

Team Gio Gio will be participating in BluePath's virtual walk-a-thon on Saturday, October 3.

Let's team up as a community and help this local family reach their fundraising goal!