Celebrating 25 Years – The Southeast Region

The Southeast Region of Canine Companions has been making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities since 1989 and started in a small warehouse in Altamonte Springs. Before the opening of the campus in Orlando, Florida, puppy raisers and potential clients had to travel to the Northeast Region to turn in dogs and to receive dogs.

A small but dedicated group of volunteers began a campaign to open a regional training center in Orlando. After one year the campaign raised $4 million and the Southeast Region Training Center, an 8-acre campus, opened on Independence Day, July 4, 2000, 25 years ago.

The campus is named in recognition of Anheuser-Busch/SeaWorld’s million-dollar gift and consists of four buildings with a total of 32,000 square feet.

The Southeast Region held a campus event celebrating their milestone anniversary featuring catered food from Olive Garden/Darden who were a key partner in the campus funding, graduate videos, a Southeast Region History panel featuring Southeast Region and National Board Member Bill White and past Southeast Region Board Member Fonda Cerenzio, and a tribute to former Executive Director Margaret Ager.

Check out photos from the event below.

Congratulations to the Southeast Region Campus on your anniversary!

A woman with curly hair, wearing a blue dress and a pink wrap, speaks into a microphone while gesturing with her hands. Beside her, a man in a teal striped polo shirt listens. The setting appears to be a casual indoor event with wooden blinds in the background.
Three speakers seated on chairs during a presentation at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Southeast Region SeaWorld Campus; a woman with red hair speaks into a microphone while the two seated next to her listen, with a Canine Companions logo displayed on a podium in front.
A woman with long brown hair wearing a light blue shirt holds a microphone while speaking at a table. She sits next to a man in a gray shirt, who appears focused on his phone. A vase with yellow flowers and blue decorations is in front of them, and some people are visible in the background.
A woman with reddish-brown hair and a floral blue and white blouse speaks into a microphone at a gathering, while two older women listen beside her. In the background, people are seated in a large hall, and a gold balloon shaped like the letter 'E' is visible.
A room filled with seated people at a gathering, where two service dogs, one black and one yellow, are lying on blue mats near a woman in a wheelchair and another woman with gray hair. Tables are covered with blue cloths, and water bottles and decorations are visible.
A large gathering in a community hall featuring several tables covered with blue tablecloths, where attendees are enjoying food and watching presentations on screens. The room is filled with people, including some in wheelchairs, and there are trays of food in the foreground.
A woman with long, wavy red hair enthusiastically pulls away a blue cloth, revealing a framed portrait and plaque on an easel that honors someone named Margaret S. Ager. The setting appears to be an indoor space with wooden blinds and simple wooden furniture.
A light-colored Labrador Retriever wearing a blue bandana with yellow accents and a tag, looking directly at the camera in a room with people and blue tables in the background.
A group of four people serving themselves from a buffet with various food options, including salads, fried foods, and sauces; the setting is a well-lit room with tables laid out for a gathering.
A group of people sitting and standing in a room with blue walls and tables, some are interacting while others sit with yellow lab puppies at their feet, and various black pet carriers are piled in the background.
An older man with glasses stands beside a woman in a wheelchair, who is holding a joystick control. The woman has gray hair and wears a gray shirt with a logo, while a Labrador retriever in a blue vest sits next to her. In the background, there are tables adorned with blue tablecloths and flower arrangements.
A seated elderly man with a blue shirt and a cap smiles at a gathering, while a yellow Labrador lies quietly on the floor beside him. In the background, several women engage in conversation around blue tablecloths.
A gathering in a room with several tables covered in blue tablecloths, where people are seated and chatting, some holding small flower arrangements. A woman kneels beside a black dog while another golden retriever rests on the floor nearby. The background shows a mix of people and a large screen displaying information.
Three individuals posing together in a room with blue walls. The man on the left is wearing a striped light blue polo shirt, the woman in the middle is in a floral dress with a blue headband, and the man on the right is in a blue patterned shirt. In the background, a woman can be seen sitting at a table.
Three people, two men and one woman, pose together in a brightly lit indoor setting with tables decorated for an event, wearing name tags and smiling at the camera.
A smiling elderly man with glasses wearing a blue striped shirt is seated at a table, next to a woman in a blue patterned dress with a name tag that says "Linda." They are at a social gathering surrounded by other attendees and decorated tables with flowers and bottles of water.
A woman with long, wavy red hair speaks into a microphone at a podium, while another woman with curly brown hair gestures beside her. They are at an event celebrating 50 years of Canine Companions, indicated by a banner in the background.