4 - Friday, February 7, 1992 - North Shore News Walking an extra mile for Doris Day § A MAN needs a dream, right? Not that a woman doesn’t need a dream too. Often her dream is a man, which sur- Prises me these liberated days. But this is no time to get into gender politics. On the other hand, it may be difficult not to. Because this dream — the dream of a West Vancouver man — involves Doris Day. Yes, Doris Day — the leggy, luscious, toothsome movie star who was hyped as the virgin next door, the bouncy, wholesome, come-and-woo-me seductress who’d make even Mister Rogers leave his neighborhood and un- button his cardigan. T have a close and intellectual friend who has a secret passion for Doris Day. She has been known to melt [Qs as high as 145. More to the point, these days she is known as an animal lover. I'll rephrase that for those wanton persons who think this means she is a tiger in bed: These days she is known as a lover of animals. She runs the Doris Day Pet Foundation from her home near Carmel, Calif. That’s her link with the West Vancouver man — Earle Bingley, who lives on Marine Drive. Bingley’s dream is to walk from Vancouver to Los Angeles, with the support of the Doris Day Pet Foundation. Also from various affiliates of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Bingley, a steel-grey-haired man of 58 who for many years worked for the Four Seasons hotel chain and currently drives a school bus and has a dog and four cats, wants to raise $500,000. That’s quite a figure. Bingley thinks it could easily be raised if everybody who ever owned a pet contributed $1. The money would go to set up free spaying and neutering clinics under the aegis of the actress’ foundation. Exactly how it would be distributed, he’s not sure: “Pm just no good when it comes to money.”’ Bingley hopes for a lot of media publicity. The Johnny Carson Trevor Lautens GARDEN OF BIASES show wouldn’t be aiming too high. This may seem like a very big Pipe dream. Doris Day paying any attention to a man who wants to take a long walk? But Bingley claims the Doris Day foundation, although it hasn't made up its official mind — he said the actress’ son Terry reacted doubtfully with ‘Is he (Bingley) some kind of a nut?’? — is radiating positive signs. The latest, just in che last week or so, was a call from Judy Ruby, director of the foundation. Bingley played a tape of the call he said was from Ms. Ruby. Doris, she said, is ‘‘really thrill- ed’’ by the idea. Earle, she went on, ‘tis the most fantastic person, to do so much for the animals. We’re so grateful to him and we love him so much for the good work he does. He’s an asset and a support.’ Doris Day had said much more, Ms. Ruby said, but ‘‘that is direct from her mouth.’’ Bingley claims to have met Doris Day a couple of times, cor- responded with her, and been given her private number, which he hasn’t used because ‘‘I would never impose on her privacy.”* He said he first met her in the 1960s at a bazaar for Actors for Animals in California: for $5 people could get a Polaroid pic- ture taken with her. He also met her, through a friendship with a nephew of pro- ducer Joe Pasternak, on the set of a movie she was making with Gig Young in 1962. (He forgot the movie’s name, but the records show Day and Young starred together in That Touch of Mink, filmed that year. You suspected we sloughed off the research?) Bingley said they’ve been cor- responding over their mutual in- terest in animal welfare for the last 10 years. Ms. Day wrote him a three- page letter a while ago and repeated her invitation to keep in touch with her through her foun- dation. The present plan is to begin the watk July 1. Bingley wauld like to complete it in two months, walk- ing the equivatent of a marathon — 26 miles — every day. He'd need an air-conditioned motorhome as a support vehicle, especially since he'd want to take along his dog Tank, a 14-year-old St. Bernard/retriever cross with whom he'd walk a few miles each day and the last mile, and three cats, Menjou, La Pusse, and Tappers. If the Doris Day Pet Founda- ALL MAKES COLLISION REPAIRS: GUARANTEED WORKMANSHIP & COURTEOUS PERSONAL SERVICE FREE interior/Exterior Cleon up with jo! (Exes March 3/92 | 1160 West 3rd Street (at Lioyd) 7 (Across from ICBC Clsim Centre) North Vancouver 987-3370 LONG-STEMMED ROSES FROM $29”? up to $49" 4 Dozen tion gets behind the project, Judy Ruby would like the Jong walk ex- tended to the foundation's head- quarters in Carmel. Sounds like a tall order and a dizzying dream. As Tank would doubtless say: ‘‘Ruff, ruff.”’ But Doris Day’s work began through taking in stray animals. ® 1992 Boats, Personal Watercraft and Accessories ¢ Test your speed in the Sailboat Power Test Challenge ¢ Marine Facts Theatre featuring Ocean Explorers Andy & Liza Copeland © Enter to win in the Why not a stray cause? One that might end with a hug from an all-time American chaste symbol, of whom I believe Groucho Marx said: ‘‘I’ve known her from before she was a virgin.’’ $25,000 Grand Prize Boat Giveaway and daily prizes . © Boating Travel Getaways Includes Baby's Breath, Greens, Piks & Box PRE-ORDER TODAY & GUARANTEE YOURSELF THE FINEST, FRESHEST FLOWERS! ( GROWER, DIRECT PIS Fresh Cut Flowers ce : : ‘STADIUM, TOGETHER WE GIVE CANADIANS AM OUTSIDE CHANCE, INC. oS uae ee ia mace De nator NORTH VANCOUVER Seem = 992 Marine Drive cima nc reat Tet oor Admuwan inchudes GAT Tickets at TicketMaster 280-4444 oF at the CROSSROADS BS $25 W. Broadway {Brosdway & Carnbie) 874-4233 KERREISDALE 5525 West Bivd. (between 3Sth & 49th) 266-4163 V+, 9 fri. Noon - IOPM: Sat. tunes - fOPM: Sun: 10AM > OOM