Event Will Help Raise Funds for Local Boy's Service Dog

Eric Gray and his sister Rachel help parents Greg and Nicole prepare for Saturday's event.

Eric Gray will get some special entertainment Saturday morning, but more important, he will get a lot of much-needed support.

The 11-year-old will watch a member of the Red Bull Air Force skydive over the hills of Lake Elsinore in a winged suit and down to the grounds outside Lamb's Fellowship Church on Railroad Canyon Drive. While thrilling for Eric and all those who see it, the stunt also will be part of a fundraiser for a very special cause.

Eric has severe allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. At least twice in his young life, he almost died from allergic reactions. The allergy is so sensitive that he must avoid any food where ingredients are unknown, just in case there might be peanut residue on the hands of those who prepared it or on the utensils used.

"We teach our children that it's your responsibility to keep your world safe, not theirs," said Eric's mother Nicole, who with her husband Greg are raising Eric and 7-year-old Rachel in the Canyon Hills community of Lake Elsinore. "If a friend eats a peanut butter sandwich, Eric hands them a wipe to use before he touches anything they have.

"Eric is teased a lot about the allergy. Most of the students understand, but I worry about him going into sixth grade. From kindergarten through fifth, the teacher could talk to the other children and make them understand. How are we going to keep him safe now, when he has five or six different teachers who have to know about it?"

Fortunately for Eric and his family, they've found a way. A local dog trainer referred them to Angel Service Dogs, a nonprofit organization based in Colorado that trains dogs to assist humans in a variety of ways. Recently, the Grays learned that the group had located a female Australian Labradoodle that is being trained to detect peanut residue and other nut products to which Eric is allergic.

The dog -- named Remy -- will walk ahead of Eric and will alert him of any peanut products or residue in an area he is approaching. According to Eric's mother, Remy will actually stop and block Eric's path, alerting him to the potential danger.

Nicole Gray said the staff has been supportive at Santa Rosa Academy in Menifee, where Eric and Rachel attend school and Nicole is a board member. Still, she is relieved that having Remy will make life even easier for Eric next school year.

"Remy will check classrooms, food, even the P.E. balls he will handle," Nicole Gray said. "When Eric got the word that he could have Remy, he ran through the house like he just won a million dollars."

That would be nice, although the cost of training and purchase of Remy isn't $1 million. Is it about $20,000, however, which prompted the Grays to pursue fundraising opportunities. They have set up a Facebook page seeking donations, and a charity event is scheduled for July 18 at Ace's Comedy Club in Murrieta.

Before that happens, however, funds will be raised at Saturday's event at Lamb's Fellowship. The event was originally planned as a fundraiser strictly for the Lake Elsinore Dream Center, which provides support for individuals and families. But the Red Bull Air Force heard about Eric's situation and made arrangements to be included in the activities to raise funds for his family as well.

The whole family is getting ready for the event -- even Rachel, who will sell lemonade to help raise funds to acquire Remy.

"I was really really excited, like, 'Yeah!' " said Eric, pumping his fist in explaining his reaction to getting Remy. "It's another whole life I can have with my friends. I'll have a lot more places I can go and things I can do.

He also is excited about the support shown to him already by so many in the community and he can't wait for Saturday to come.

"It's amazing," Eric said. "They're just gonna fly in ... it's awesome. It blows my mind. And when people come out to see it, I will give them a high five and be really happy they came to support me."

The Lamb's Fellowship Car Show will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at 21901 Railroad Canyon Road in Lake Elsinore. For more information, visit their Facebook page. For more information about the Gray family's fundraising efforts, click here.