GO See Foundation https://test.goseefoundation.org The GO See Foundation Website & Blog Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:17:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://res.cloudinary.com/altus-biz/images/w_32,h_32,c_fill,g_auto/f_auto,q_auto/v1763343392/cropped-GO-See-Favicon/cropped-GO-See-Favicon.png?_i=AA GO See Foundation https://test.goseefoundation.org 32 32 Zoo to You – March 6, 2026 https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/zoo-to-you-03-06-2026/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/zoo-to-you-03-06-2026/#respond Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:20:42 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=239497 On March 6, 2025, the GO See Foundation hosted a memorable group outing to Zoo to You/Conservation Ambassadors. The event was a massive success, providing participants with a unique opportunity for close, supervised, and interactive experiences with a diverse range of exotic animals.

The day was filled with intimate, sensory-rich encounters. Attendees had the chance to feed and interact with animals such as Tulie the camel, Edward Scissorhands the three-toed sloth, Roswell the armadillo, and Bob the young alligator. Members were able to hang out with several large capybara, hold a black-and-white ruffed lemur, and see Maya, a small spider monkey.

But the highlight of the day might have been meeting, holding and coddling Yindi, a baby kangaroo – see all the images below.

The GO See Foundation is thrilled that the trip delivered a special and worthwhile experience for its members, reinforcing the foundation’s mission to enable visually-impaired individuals to “GO SEE the world.”

Member Feedback on the Experience

The event resonated deeply with attendees, who shared overwhelmingly positive feedback:

— “A massive thanks for putting that together. It was a very special experience. I have been an animal lover since childhood…” – Jess S

— “Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting together an incredible day at Zoo to You! It ranks up there as one of the best events we’ve done!” – Laurie M

— “It was fun for sure… Thanks for doing a great thing (with) your foundation. This was worthwhile. The people (at) Zoo to You are super nice.” – Travis S

— “Wow what a great group you have and what a wonderful thing it is that you organize special trips… It was interesting with the animals but also interesting for me to interact with the sight impaired and non sight people…” – Betty S

— “Nature is my guru, I am happiest when I am interacting with it … truly my happy place.” – Susan R

— “I had the best time on Friday and so glad I didn’t stay home! That was a great field trip!” – Laura Z

In this sunny outdoor scene, a woman with grey hair, dressed in a reddish-brown vest, is seen gently interacting with a camel named Tulie. She is smiling as she offers Tulie a small carrot directly from her open palm. The camel's haltered head is prominent as it accepts and eats the treat. A man in sunglasses and a black t-shirt joyfully holds Yindi, a baby kangaroo snugly wrapped in a white blanket and blue sweater. Beside him, a smiling woman in green affectionately pets the animal. This heartwarming outdoor photo, set in a sunny animal sanctuary with wooden structures and trees in the background, captures the shared delight of this close encounter. The image shows a sunny, outdoor interaction with a large capybara. A woman on the left, seated, feeds the reddish-brown rodent leafy green lettuce while scratching its chest. The capybara, a very large reddish-brown rodent, is sitting upright and appears calm and serene. A man on the right is kneeling to photograph the scene with his smartphone. A bearded man in a dark shirt and an "Aloha" cap looks directly at the camera, smiling slightly while holding Roswell, a small, curled-up armadillo in his hands, nestled with an apple, visible near its head. The indoor portrait showing a cozy interaction is set in a rustic shop, with wooden crates and toys blurred in the background. A handler in a blue shirt and shorts gently holds Maya, a small, dark spider monkey, against his chest on a sunny patio. He speaks to seated guests, two women in the foreground, who watch with interest. The calm, close, and supervised animal encounter takes place amidst woven outdoor seating and a heat lamp. Two smiling women are captured indoors feeding Edward Scissorhands, a three-toed sloth, who hangs from a branch and reaches for a piece of fruit. The women, one in dark sunglasses and the other with gray hair and a blue top, are assisting each other with the feeding. The intimate interaction takes place at an animal center with bright green, leaf-patterned walls. A black-and-white ruffed lemur perches calmly on the shoulder of a woman wearing a grey zip-up sweatshirt and a "GO See Foundation" cap in this bright, sunny outdoor image under a tarp awning. The lemur's black face and contrasting white fur are prominent. The intimate moment highlights a peaceful interaction with the exotic animal. ]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/zoo-to-you-03-06-2026/feed/ 0 Morro Bay Tandem Kayaking https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/morro-bay-tandem-kayaking/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/morro-bay-tandem-kayaking/#respond Sun, 26 Oct 2025 17:39:34 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=239396 GO See Foundation Members enjoyed a calm, beautiful morning on the still waters of Morro Bay during our tandem kayaking event for 2025.

Thanks to the help from John and Kinley Flaherty at Central Coast Outdoors and several sighted guide volunteers, participants got some exercise, fresh air and a better understanding of marine life and the ecosystems of the bay.

After the trip, many folks stayed and enjoyed lunch together at the Bayside Cafe.

Tandem Kayakers in Morro Bay, lined up side by side in shallow, seagrass lined waters 2 tandem kayaks rowing with a third, solo kayak behind in the lightly rippling water of the bay with Morro Rock in the background GO See Foundation founder, Allyson Buerger smiling widely in a blue and purple solo kayak in Morro Bay with sea kelp and shoreline in the background Several tandem kayaks rowing in glassy water with Morro Rock in the background Two tandem kayaks in Morro Bay as viewed over bow of another kayak ]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/morro-bay-tandem-kayaking/feed/ 0 Ryans Ranch 5k Run https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/ryans-ranch-5k-run/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/ryans-ranch-5k-run/#respond Sun, 31 Aug 2025 17:44:55 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=239460 Several GO See Foundation Members and supporters participated in the 2025 Ryans Ranch 5k Run to help support the 17-Strong Foundation as well as the Central Coast Athletics Foundation.

It was a warm sunny day at the Ranch. The courses (Kids mile, 5k, 10k) were in great shape and easy to navigate by our Members, whether they walked the course with a cane, a guide dog or tethered to a sited guide.

The GO See Foundation booth was manned by Board Members who spoke with visitors about the foundation and the work we do to help our members enjoy activities together as a group. The whole day raised thousands of dollars to support 17-Strong (which provides no-cost destination trips for younger cancer survivors) and the Central Coast Athletics Foundation (which advocates athletic participation for local young people in San Luis Obispo County).

GO See Members with sited guides walking on the Ryans Ranch Run 5k course. One has a guide dog and the other member is using a cane. GO See Foundation founder, Allyson tethered with her sited guide, wearing white GO See t-shirts and hats on the Ryans Ranch Run 5k course GO See Member using their cane but tethered to a sited guide as they walk the Ryans Ranch Run 5k course GO See Members and sighted guides posing at the booth before the Ryans Ranch Run. One member participant has her guide dog with her.

17-Strong Logo - a white V in the middle of a red circle

Central Coast Athletics Foundation logo - Blue Letters C-C-A-F

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/ryans-ranch-5k-run/feed/ 0 GO See Foundation on Dave Congalton – First Annual GO See Retreat https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-foundation-on-dave-congalton-first-annual-go-see-retreat/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-foundation-on-dave-congalton-first-annual-go-see-retreat/#respond Fri, 18 Aug 2023 23:01:52 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=572 During this radio show appearance with Dave Congalton, GO See Foundation founder, Allyson Buerger joins board member Laura Zamora to discuss vision loss, past events that the GO See Foundation has supported and the upcoming First Annual GO See Retreat at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria, October 13-15, 2023.

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-foundation-on-dave-congalton-first-annual-go-see-retreat/feed/ 0 GO See Podcast – Episode 003 – Laurie Mileur https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-podcast-episode-003-laurie-mileur/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-podcast-episode-003-laurie-mileur/#respond Sat, 01 Apr 2023 00:53:45 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=544 Dr. Laurie Mileur was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) in 1992 at the age of 40. When I met Laurie several years ago, I was impressed by her positive and healthy approach to vision loss. We’re proud to have Laurie on the Board of Directors for the GO See Foundation.

~ Allyson Buerger (founder, GO See Foundation)

The GO See Podcast was created to help the blind and visually impaired thrive through stories and conversations with inspiring members of our community. It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere else you might access podcasts.

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-podcast-episode-003-laurie-mileur/feed/ 0 GO See Podcast – Episode 002 – Lauren Lajoie https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-podcast-episode-002-lauren-lajoie/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-podcast-episode-002-lauren-lajoie/#respond Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:36:21 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=539 In this episode of our podcast, we visit with Lauren Lajoie who was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) at the end of her studies at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo. As long as I’ve known her, she has been fun and fearless. Lauren is an inspiration to me and I hope that you find her story is an inspiration for you as well.

~ Allyson Buerger (founder, GO See Foundation)

The GO See Podcast was created to help the blind and visually impaired thrive through stories and conversations with inspiring members of our community. It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere else you might access podcasts

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/go-see-podcast-episode-002-lauren-lajoie/feed/ 0 Points Of Light Honoree https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/points-of-light-honoree/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/points-of-light-honoree/#respond Wed, 14 Oct 2020 13:00:36 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=465 GO See Foundation founder, Allyson Buerger, was recently honored as a Daily Point of Light for all her work on behalf of the foundation to make a difference in our community – to help people get out and “go” places, despite vision loss.

Read the full article – IN CALIFORNIA, OUTDOOR SPORTS CONTINUE FOR THOSE WITH VISION LOSS, THANKS TO GO SEE FOUNDATION – on the PointsOfLight.org website.

The Points of Light Mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. They envision a world in which everyone discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies.

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/points-of-light-honoree/feed/ 0 Three Bridges Oak Preserve Hike https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/three-bridge-oak-preserve-hike/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/three-bridge-oak-preserve-hike/#respond Sun, 17 Nov 2019 04:54:38 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=383 Thanks to members of Delta Upsilon fraternity and the Cal Poly Eye-Cycle program for taking several of our visually impaired members on a beautiful hike at Three Bridges Oak Preserve in Atascadero.

Despite the terrain and elevation change, we all (including three guide dogs) had a great time.

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/three-bridge-oak-preserve-hike/feed/ 0 Slices for Sight Fundraiser with Delta Gamma https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/delta-gamma-slices-for-sight/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/delta-gamma-slices-for-sight/#respond Sun, 03 Nov 2019 19:50:35 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=363

Thank you to Delta Gamma Sorority at Cal Poly for sponsoring the GO See Foundation as part of their annual Slices for Sight function.

Several of our board members as well as plenty of other supporters joined in the fun, pizza, cakes and pies.

]]> https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/delta-gamma-slices-for-sight/feed/ 0 Morro Bay Sea Otter Tour https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/morro-bay-sea-otter-tour/ https://test.goseefoundation.org/blog/morro-bay-sea-otter-tour/#respond Fri, 27 Sep 2019 04:23:41 +0000 https://test.goseefoundation.org/?p=436

On September 27th, 2019 the GO See Foundation coordinated a guided Sea Otter Expedition on the Embarcadero in Morro Bay in honor of Sea Otter Awareness Week. 5 visually impaired individuals were able to participate thanks to the help from several volunteer sighted guides and folks providing transportation. After the tour, the GO See Foundation sponsored lunch at Tognazzini’s.

A special thanks to Norma Wightman and California State Parks for providing an educational “hands on” event.

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