One Puppy. One Powerful Purpose. How a Golden Retriever and Two Local Artists Are Turning Creativity into Hope.
Bonnie and Virginia Butler turn creativity into advocacy, raising funds to train Harley as a seizure response and alert service dog during National Epilepsy Awareness Month.
Virginia & Bonnie Butler with Harley the Golen Retreiver in historic downtown Ashland, Virginia
What happens when a mother's love, a daughter's artistic talent, a community of local creatives, and one exceptionally lovable golden retriever come together for a cause?
A little more awareness. A lot more hope. And a four-legged reason to wear purple.
This November, in recognition of Epilepsy Awareness Month, Ashland Sunday Brunch Markets is shining a spotlight on Bonnie and Virginia Butler, a mother-daughter team turning their passion for creativity into an opportunity for greater independence and safety for Virginia, who has lived with epilepsy for 24 years.
Alongside their 10-month-old golden retriever, Harley, Bonnie and Virginia create and sell handmade diamond art and paintings, dedicating the proceeds to Harley's service dog training. Their goal is to help Harley become a seizure response and alert service dog who can support Virginia as she navigates life with seizures that remain uncontrolled despite multiple medications.
Harley is currently working through obedience training. Her family believes she may already be demonstrating an ability to recognize Virginia's seizures, although those early indications have been inconsistent. The hope is to begin specialized service dog training soon, building on that foundation and exploring Harley's potential to provide an additional layer of support and independence.
And Harley is already becoming something of a Sunday Brunch Markets celebrity.
When she's not busy attending the markets in her crate, this soon-to-be one-year-old golden retriever is happy to distribute complimentary pets, puppy kisses, and tail wags to visitors while her humans work hard to share their artwork and raise funds for her training.
But the mission extends beyond one family.
Throughout November, Ashland Sunday Brunch Markets is inviting the community to wear purple in recognition of Epilepsy Awareness Month. Anyone wearing purple will automatically be entered to win a handmade prize donated by local creative EmmaK.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia will also be attending the markets to share information about epilepsy, treatments, and resources for individuals and families living with the condition.
"We've always known art is life-changing. Now, we get to experience that change when we learn about epilepsy simply by supporting local creatives," says Louise Keeton of LouAffirms, producer of Ashland Sunday Brunch Markets. "Bonnie and Virginia remind us that creativity can do more than bring beauty into the world. It can create opportunities, build understanding, and help make someone's everyday life a little brighter. That's the kind of community we want to cultivate."
Visitors are encouraged to shop Bonnie and Virginia's original artwork, meet Harley, connect with epilepsy education resources, and discover the extraordinary stories behind the local artists and makers who make Ashland's creative community so special.
Because sometimes the most meaningful thing you can bring home from a local art market isn't just a beautiful piece of art. It's the knowledge that your purchase helped change someone's life.
JOIN US: PURPLE FOR A PURPOSE
Ashland Sunday Brunch Markets welcomes the public to enjoy a morning of local shopping, community connection, and epilepsy awareness.
When: Sundays throughout November 2026, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: Studio54, 100 Thompson Street, Ashland, Virginia
Admission: Free
What to expect: Local artists and makers, handmade gifts, original artwork by Bonnie and Virginia Butler, opportunities to meet Harley, epilepsy education and resources from the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia, and a handmade prize drawing for attendees wearing purple.