THE RYAN LICHT SANG BIPOLAR FOUNDATION’S “DOG OF THE YEAR”

Competition honors dogs for the comfort and love they provide during difficult times.

CHICAGO, IL, USA, September 3, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation announces its first DOG OF THE YEAR campaign, which celebrates the unconditional love that dogs have given, and continue to give, to their humans to during this stressful and disruptive time. From the trained therapy dogs who provide essential support for their owners to the tiny puppies who spark joy with every wobbly step, dogs give us comfort no matter what is happening in our lives or in the world around us. The Foundation’s DOG OF THE YEAR campaign will give dog lovers everywhere the opportunity to honor their most loyal canine companions while also raising money and awareness for an important cause, Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder.

“The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation believes that it’s important to acknowledge that, while the pandemic has been hard for many of us, it’s been even more challenging for people who are battling mental illnesses like Bipolar Disorder. At the same time, the pandemic has made it more difficult for us to raise money to support the medical research necessary to find effective treatments for Bipolar Disorder,” said Amy Morro, Life Trustee of The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation. “Given how much dogs can contribute to one’s mental health, especially during difficult times such as these, it made sense to rally around our canine companions as a way to foster understanding of Bipolar Disorder while also raising critical funds and awareness.”

Dog lovers who wish to participate in the DOG OF THE YEAR campaign can follow the links on the Foundation’s website at www.ryanlichtsangbipolarfoundation.org to create a fundraising team in their dog’s honor or to join an existing team in this GoFundMe charity campaign. Once they’ve uploaded a photo of their dog, added details about their dog’s story and set a fundraising goal, team organizers are encouraged to share their GoFundMe page with friends and family.

The team that raises the most by December 31, 2020 will have their dog named DOG OF THE YEAR, receive a special trophy, be highlighted on the Foundation’s website and have a feature story about their dog appear in Stay Thirsty Magazine. Additionally, Susan Wilson, the New York Times bestselling author of seven books about dogs, will choose the team dog with the Best Life Story; that winning dog will also receive a trophy and be highlighted on the Foundation’s website and in Stay Thirsty.

Fundraising teams who place second through fifth in fundraising totals will receive two custom-designed Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation logo hats. In recognition of their participation, all teams will receive two Bipolar Awareness pins, which were created by The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation to symbolize the opposite poles of mania and depression that exhibit in Bipolar Disorder.

The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization, established by Joyce and Dusty Sang in honor of their son, Ryan Licht Sang, who passed away in August 2004 at the age of 24. Ryan, who was born in Palm Beach and attended college in Chicago, suffered from early-onset bipolar disorder, a serious medical illness of the brain that manifests with recurring episodes of mania and depression. Ryan did not survive because of the state of medical science. The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation’s mission is to foster awareness, understanding and research for Early-Onset Bipolar Disorder, and through its “Quest For The Test™” initiative, to find an empirical test for Bipolar Disorder so that early detection in children and adolescents becomes a reality. More information is available at www.ryanlichtsangbipolarfoundation.org.

Liz Kores
Liz Kores Public Relations
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