A dogged effort for charity

CrossFit Lakewood Ranch owner Aaron Weedo didn’t think twice about canceling his business’s typical Saturday morning class in favor of another cause.

As runners made their way across the finish line for the Doggies for Duchenne 5K Feb. 11, outside his parking lot, he sidled up next to 13-year-old Grayson Tullio, who was riding on a cart decorated with dog art. Tullio, a Greenbrook resident who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, was talking about his service dog, Hooch.

“Look at that smile,” Weedo said, pointing to Tullio. “We complain about sore muscles.”

Runners and walkers, many with their dogs, made the one-mile or 5K walk/run through the Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park to benefit the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch and Another Day for Gray, a nonprofit founded by Tullio's parents, Jen and Nick Tullio, to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.