47 people helped the Cohuna Lions Club add to the national tally of kilometres for Lap the Map on Saturday when they participated in Cohuna parkrun.

The Lions Club of Cohuna participated in the annual Lions Lap the Map event, with Lions clubs across Australia aiming to collectively lap the map of Australia and raise funds and awareness for diabetes during November.

Funds raised go to the Lions Australia Medical Alert Dog Program that provides Diabetic Alert Dogs to people with type 1 diabetes, free of charge.

According to Diabetes Australia, 134,000 Australians live with type 1 diabetes, which represents 10 per cent of all cases of diabetes (1.9 million). Diabetic Alert Dogs, says Lions Australia, have the potential to improve the quality of life, and even save the lives of people living with type 1 diabetes.

“Australian Lions Diabetic Alert Dogs alert their owner by touching them with one paw when their blood glucose levels (BGLs) are outside a specific target range, prompting them to check their BGL and treat accordingly,” Lions Australia says on its website.

The dogs are also trained to retrieve Hypokits, seek assistance from other members of the household on command, and press a button to call emergency contacts if their owner falls unresponsive when they are home alone.

Labradoodles and spaniels are the breeds used in the program and can be identified by a green jacket.

Cohuna contributed 235km to the national tally.

To find out more about the Lions Australia Medical Alert Dog Program, go to www.lionshearingdogs.com.au/medical-alert-dogs.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 21 November 2024.