HERMISTON — In celebration of his third birthday, Leroy, a yellow Labrador retriever, helped raise $1,900 for a pair of nonprofit organizations to assist people with disabilities.

When Carol Clupny was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 17 years ago, the Hermiston woman embarked on a mission to research the disease, pursue cutting-edge treatments, find new ways to live and share her experiences with others. She added Leroy to her arsenal of support as a service dog in October 2023. Both with February birthdays, she hosted the fundraising bowling party on Feb. 16 at Desert Lanes Family Fun Center in Hermiston.

Clupny wrote about living with Parkinson’s disease in her 2019 book, “The Ribbon of Road Ahead: One Woman’s Remarkable Journey with Parkinson’s Disease.” In addition, she has spoken at numerous support groups and nonprofit organizations and participated in podcasts through the Davis Phinney Foundation, a nonprofit that assists people with Parkinson’s.

Money raised during the bowling party will benefit the foundation and Joy of Living Assistance Dogs, the program that matched her with Leroy. While JLAD is based in Salem, a branch is operated at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, where adults in custody are hired to care for and train young dogs. Canine graduates are then paired with people to perform tasks as service dogs.

Several days before the birthday celebration, Clupny and her husband, Charlie, took Leroy for a practice session at Desert Lanes. She said it was obvious that this wasn’t Leroy’s first experience with bowling.

After a few run-throughs, Leroy confidently nudged the ball down the bowling ramp. He then stood by as other bowlers marveled as the pins fell — scoring repeated strikes and spares.

In addition to his fundraising efforts, Leroy assists Clupny by performing a variety of tasks, including picking up dropped items, providing and retrieving Clupny’s credit card to store clerks when making purchases, accompanying her on outings, performing wellness checks throughout the day, assisting with laundry and fetching his food bowl when it’s time to eat.

To listen to podcasts Clupny has participated in, visit the Davis Phinney Foundation website via bit.ly/41xErgn. And for more about Joy of Living Assistance Dogs, search www.joydogs.org.