“Dog Man” comes to Amherstburg

By Hailey Zimmerman

Dog Man came to visit children at the River Bookshop on the weekend.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. last Saturday and Sunday, “Dog Man” was situated in the upstairs area at the bookstore in the “Hole in the Wall.” The area was well set with tables and chairs for families and kids, and an area for Dog Man to walk around and say hello to all the visiting kids.

The attending children were welcome to color Dog Man themed coloring pages, as well as interact and play with Dog Man. There was also a Dog Man themed matching game set up for the kids.

All kids who colored a Dog Man themed coloring page and handed it back to a worker at the bookstore with their name (and parents information) were entered into a raffle for some exclusive Dog Man prizes. The prize winner was announced late in the evening last Sunday.

“We were really impressed with the turnout of this event,” says Meghan Desjardins, lead bookseller at River Bookshop. “There were tons of people entering for the event right at 11. People just kept coming in for the Dog Man event all day.”

River Bookshop was happy and proud they could offer an event like the Dog Man one that could not be offered anywhere else in our region. They wish to do more similar events like the Dog

Man event for the community.

“Bringing in more characters like Dog Man for events is something we are considering. We love being able to contribute to the kids in our community. We love the joy and entertainment we can offer for the young,” finished Desjardins.

According to Travis’ biography, read aloud by museum board member CariLynn Ristic, Travis has been telling stories since he was a child and his imagination led him into the arts. He is now the executive director of Artcite Inc., an artist-run centre.

“Through his joy for music and dance, he discovered musical theatre, and his experience in the theatre led him to spoken word poetry,” his biography stated. “His multi-disciplinary style of creating allows him to utilize a diverse approach when producing new work, whereas his background in social work, community advocacy and education provides him with a unique ability to facilitate group activities while being mindful of the individual.”

The “Freedom Achievers” program is sponsored by the Amherstburg Community Foundation.

The next “Freedom Achievers” event is Sept. 23, feature CTV meteorologist Gary Archibald.

Other future events at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum include Ribs & Ragtime June 10, the Emancipation Celebration dinner and dance Aug. 4, the Walter Perry Emancipation Golf Classic Aug. 12, and Christmas at the Museum Dec. 6. For more information on the museum, visit www.amherstburgfreedom.org or call 519-736-5433.

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