Paddle boarders stand up for assistance dogs on the Petaluma River.

Paddlers of all sorts of watercraft will have fun helping assistance dogs.|

Stand Up For Bergin is a free event open to the public offering four hours of paddle-board, kayak and Assistance Dog demos.

World-renowned Olympic paddler Jim Terrell, founder of Quickblade Paddles, will be on hand Saturday, and he will give a clinic on Friday.

In addition, there will be 4-mile and 2-mile races with experienced paddlers, coming from as far as Connecticut, Ohio and Texas to compete. There will also be a recreational paddle race, offering a scenic tour of the Petaluma Estuary.

All proceeds will support the Assistance Dogs at Bergin University of Canine Studies. Each year, BUCS trains up to 30 assistance dogs that are given at no-cost to veterans and offered at nominal fees to low-income individuals with disabilities. Service dogs are the life-line for many in California including 2 million veterans.

The event is targeted toward people/families who currently enjoy or are curious about paddle sports, Petaluma River enthusiasts, dog lovers and service dog enthusiasts.

The event will be from 10 a.m. until l p.m. on the Petaluma River, near the Harbor-Master’s building. There will be raffles, races and refreshments.

The event is free; however, fees are charged for races or individual lessons.

Race registration starts at 9 a.m. and is also available at Eventbrite.com. Equipment rental for the races are available through Petaluma Stand Up Paddle (paddlepetaluma@gmail.com).

BUCS was founded in 1991 by Dr. Bonnie Bergin, who pioneered the concept of service dogs and developed scientific methods to build capacity for canines assisting humans in need.

Each year BUCS trains up to 30 assistance dogs that are given at no-cost to veterans, and offered at nominal fees to low-income individuals with disabilities.

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