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The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio will hold its 5th Annual White Cane Walk, presented by ProMedica- Flower Hospital, Huntington and Sylvania Sunrise Lions Club, Inc., on Saturday, September 29th, 2012 from 9am to 12pm at the Flower Hospital campus, 5200 Harroun Road, Sylvania. This event will provide much-needed resources to help deliver services to people of all ages in our community who are blind or visually impaired, and will increase awareness of the Ohio White Cane Law.
Despite efforts to educate drivers, many do not realize that they must yield the right-of-way to blind pedestrians on any public thoroughfare. The Sight Center is hopeful that increased awareness will help to save lives.
“It is our hope that the White Cane walk will raise awareness in the general public about issues facing people who are blind or visually impaired,” says Dawn Christensen, Executive Director of The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio. “This walk will not only give participants the opportunity to walk to SEE change, but will also hopefully open their eyes to the potential and possibilities.”
Participants will learn the basics of how to use a white cane and how to serve as a sighted guide to someone who is blind or visually impaired. Each participant will have an opportunity to use a white cane while walking blindfolded through a route around Flower Hospital property with the assistance of a sighted guide partner. Additional hands-on activities, games, raffles items and demonstrations will be available. New for 2012 is a one mile walk beginning at 10 am.
This year The Sight Center is excited to hold the Bar 145 Celebrity Eating Challenge, which will create awareness of the challenges people who are blind and visually impaired face when enjoying even the simplest pleasures in life, such as eating a meal.
Celebrity participants, including Pam Hanley, President of Sunrise Lions Club, Jeff Symanski, VP of Toledo Opitical and three others will be faced with the challenge of eating a three course meal blindfolded, using appropriate etiquette and proper eating utensils. The competition will be judged by a distinguished panel and will take place at eleven.
Registration for the event is $15 per person or $30 for a family of four. Participants can sign up at www.sightcentertoledo.org or in person at the event. Please call The Sight Center with questions at 419-720-3937.
The White Cane Walk is made possible by support from other sponsors including: LaPrensa, The Andersons, Brooks Insurance, Toledo Optical, Vision Associates, LE Savory Tree & Lawn Service, Inc,.Mira & Kolena, Pinnacle Eye Care, Holy Trinity Knights-Swanton, The Collaborative, Channel 13, Waterford Bank and Mark S. Feldstein Foundation.
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