Welcome to the Atlanta Chapter of FFB! Our goal as chapter leaders is to make our general chapter meetings beneficial in terms of education and support for people with retinal degenerative diseases. We also work to provide a sense of community and promise you that if you are a first-time attendee at our meetings, you’ll feel very warmly welcomed and want to come back.
The Atlanta Chapter is one of 50 across the country that works very hard to help people stay current on the latest research and developments for retinal diseases. We also learn about support services and other opportunities that are available in the Atlanta area. Over the years Chapter members have heard from retinal specialists, low vision specialists, and FFB researchers. At our February 7, 2009, combined General Chapter Meeting and VisionWalk Kick-Off, we heard from Larry Hall, a clinical trial participant who captivated and inspired nearly 100 meeting attendees, many of whom are affected by retinal degenerative diseases or have friends and family members who are affected. It was awesome!
Atlanta is indeed fortunate to have an active and engaged chapter board that carries the spirit of FFB’s Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board Gordon Gund. His vision is our vision: We will, through helping to fund vital research, save and restore sight.
Together we work to help support FFB’s research through a number of different fundraising activities such as FFB’s signature event VisionWalk. As chief ambassadors for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, we want to make sure that as many people as possible know about our chapter, about FFB and about the hope that we all have for a future with sight.
Our chapter general meetings take place three times a year. We start out with a registration and networking time from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then begin our formal program with the chapter update and then speakers. Yes, two of the benefits to being involved in our chapter are the friendships we share and the good times that we have together.
Please note that the support group meets on the first Saturday of the month, also at St. Joseph’s Hospital on the ground level in the classroom area. Please see Support Group Leader Jim Vacheenas’ article on the support group and how this may be of help to you and your families. Be sure and contact Jim at (770) 491-1629 to confirm meeting arrangements on a monthly basis.
I hope this letter encourages you to put these important dates on your calendar and to make plans to participate. Your thoughts on program content, meeting time of day, length of meeting, networking desires and anything else that may be important to you is important to me and to our chapter board leaders. I’d love to hear from you and on behalf of the Atlanta Chapter board we welcome your participation in the Atlanta Chapter!
With best wishes,
Mary Shambaugh
Chapter President
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