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
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.
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).
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.
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.
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