Raise the dough for guide dogs this Bikkie Day

Bake a difference for Kiwis who are blind or have severe sight loss by whipping up a batch of bikkies and selling them to raise vital funds for the Blind Foundation.       

Registrations open today for Bikkie Day on Monday 2 July, and keen bakers are urged to take part. All proceeds go towards the breeding and training of Blind Foundation guide dogs.

Bakers will receive puppy-shaped bikkie cutters and a welcome pack after registering, to ensure they have everything they need to host a Bikkie Day party in July.

Guide dogs act as the eyes for Kiwis who are blind or have low vision and help navigate obstacles such as traffic and hazards, keeping the person they are guiding safe. They are also taught to locate frequently visited destinations and how to travel on public transport, giving the Kiwis they guide independence and confidence to live the life they choose.   

Blind Foundation guide dog puppies need up to two years of training and support from specialist trainers, and volunteer puppy raisers to teach them the ways of the busy world we live in.

Blind Foundation operations manager Wendy Mellberg Haecker says: “We provide specially trained guide dogs free of charge to Kiwis who are blind or have severe sight loss. The continued generous support of the New Zealand public enables our puppies to succeed in their vital work.

“Last year over 1,050 bakers from all over New Zealand raised more than $110,000 for guide dogs. The support we had was fantastic and we are hoping to see even more avid Kiwi bakers, of any experience, take part this year.” 

Register for Bikkie Day at bikkieday.org.nz

Ends

Notes to editors about the Blind Foundation:

The Blind Foundation works to enable people who are blind or have low vision to be self-reliant and live the life they choose. As New Zealand’s main provider of vision rehabilitation services, we help people adjust to and make the most of living beyond vision loss. Every day an average of four people turn to the Blind Foundation for support with blindness or sight loss.
The Blind Foundation’s vital work helping people with sight loss is possible thanks to the generous support of the public.
More information about the Blind Foundation can be found at blindfoundation.org.nz. Guide dog facts and stats can be found at: blindfoundation.org.nz/guide-dogs/about/facts/

 

For more information, interviews and high-res images, please contact: Hayley Burrows at Lassoo Media & PR, Hayley@lassoo.co.nz or 09 370 0420

Recipe: Pic’s Peanut Butter Bikkies

Ingredients

200g butter (softened)
1 x Pic’s peanut butter slug (or an extra 50g of softened butter)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2⅓ cups flour (sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
A few dark choc chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 170⁰c and line oven trays with baking paper
Cream the butter, sugar and, if using it, peanut butter with an electric beater until light and fluffy
 Add the condensed milk and beat again
Mix in the vanilla essence and fold in the flour and baking powder
Roll the mixture flat on a lightly floured surface and cut out your puppies using your red puppy bikkie cutter
Place the puppies on the oven trays (allowing room for them to spread).
 Pop on a chocolate chip to give your puppies an eye.
Bake for 15-20 minutes
Allow to cool before decorating. Use red icing to give your puppies their little red coats
Sell your delicious Bikkies to colleagues, friends, and family, and raise lots of money for Blind Foundation guide dogs