Thank you to everyone who was able to join us, in person and in spirit, at the 5th Annual Boston VisionWalk! We had a beautiful day and an amazing turnout (about 550 people!) at Artesani Park on Saturday, October 27th. With your help, we have raised more than $156,000! Great work!

The 5th Annual San Diego VisionWalk was an absolute success with a record number of walkers and the support for the 5th Annual San Diego VisionWalk was outstanding.  We had 31 fantastic teams participate in this year's VisionWalk to help the Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $115,000 (and counting) for critical retinal degenerative disease research.

Congratulations Fort Worth!  The 2^nd Annual Fort Worth Visionwalk was a HUGE success, raising over $286,000!  Congratulations to our TOP FIVE fundraising teams:  Eye Can, Alcon – Rods & Cones, Schrack’s Super Heroes, Alcon Global Sight Crusaders and Eric’s Eyes.  Not to mention our T-shirt winner:  Schrack’s Super Heroes!

The 5th Annual Tampa VisionWalk was held on October 27, 2012, at Al Lopez Park in Tampa.  Over 350 people came out on a cool breezy day to walk in support of the work of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the over 10 million people affected by blinding retinal diseases.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park was the setting for the 7^th Annual South Florida VisionWalk on Saturday, November 10, 2012.  Over 250 people came out on a cool, comfortable day to show their support of the work of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the over 10 million people affected by blinding retinal diseases.

We had a beautiful, sunny day at Country Park with almost than 300 walkers in our fight for sight!! We raised awareness, and to date, have raised over $59,000!

Congratulation on a fabulous VisionWalk!  We had a beautiful day on Saturday to celebrate the 5^th Annual Houston VisionWalk.  With over 450 in attendance, we had a great turnout.  Thank you so much to everyone who came out and made the day so amazing.  Together we have raised over $75,000 for sight saving research and we’re not stopping there!  We can continue to collect donations until January 31, 2013, so you can continue to send in those last minute donations, plan fundraising events, etc. and help us continue working towards our $115,000 goal.

Other than a little fall chill, we enjoyed an absolutely perfect day on Saturday, October 6, 2012, welcoming 515 walkers to beautiful Theodore Berry Friendship Park for our 7th Annual VisionWalk. For the third year in a row, our Walk has surpassed its goal, and we are adding on toward the $75,000 milestone. That is an AMAZING achievement for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky! Thank you to the entire community for making this such a great success.

The rain held off long enough on Saturday, September 22 to give us a day to remember, with a record 408 participants and 30 teams. Our biggest feat was reaching goal BEFORE walk day on Friday, raising over $60,000 and counting.

The 3^rd Annual Montgomery County VisionWalk was a huge success!  Held at the Rockville Town Square on September 23, there were over 500 VisionWalkers present and over $110,000 was raised!

Thank you to everyone who joined  us for the 7^th Annual Orange County VisionWalk at Angel Stadium - Anaheim! We had over 500 walkers and 38 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $115,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

Deserving Foundation researchers, board directors, trustees, members, VisionWalks and chapters were recognized at VISIONS 2012 in Minneapolis.

Our June 23 VisionWalk was FINALLY under 90 degrees, but that didn't cool anyone's enthusiasm for one of the best VisionWalks we have had, with more than 360 participants. We hope you all enjoyed beautiful Kaufmann Gardens and Theis Park to celebrate our fundraising efforts in support of the Foundation and the critical research it funds. Our teams and families did another amazing job of fundraising, crossing the $45,000 mark with the help of Walmart Vision Centers.

We had an AMAZING day at our 4th Annual VisionWalk on May 20, including our fourth year in a row with perfect weather! Special thanks to each and every one of you for helping us surpass our goal of $90,000! We couldn't have done it without you!

We had a wonderful day on Saturday, June 9^th at the Ft. Wayne VisionWalk with a huge crowd – we had over 430 participants walking with us! Thanks to everyone who came out and made the day so much fun. Together we have raised more than $57,000 to support critical sight-saving research! A huge thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters who made VisionWalk such a success. Special thanks to VisionWalk Chairs Anne Palmer & Rachel Slone, Medical Chairs Eugene J. McGarvey, III, OD & Gohar A. Salam, MD, Family Chair Nancy Ake, Youth Chair Megan Smith, Committee Member Ed Slone, Chapter President Rick Dahlstrom, and all of our team captains and volunteers.

The First Annual Dining in the Dark in Columbus, Ohio was an outstanding success!   There were well over 100 people that attending this inaugural event at Brazenhead Irish Pub in downtown Dublin, which is a nearby suburb of Columbus Ohio.    This event was co-chaired by Mike Ueber and Seth Porter, however, the Green Family brought a large number people to the “more spirited” second seating!

Taking place on May 30^th, 2012, the 2^nd Annual Fashion Ball: Dining in the Dark was a truly magical evening.  The event raised over $380,000 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and featured speeches from Event Chair and Board Director, Evan Mittman, Event Chair, Jill Granoff and keynote speaker, Andy Hilfiger.  Two hundred and thirty guests were also treated to an awe inspiring performance from visually impaired musician, Blessing Offor.  The evening was capped off by the Foundation’s signature dining in the dark experience, where thirty visually impaired waiters served the audience in pitch back darkness.  The event, which took place at the Plaza Hotel in NYC raised awareness and much needed research dollars for retinal diseases.

Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the annual conference was chronicled on the Foundation’s blog and on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Great job on a fabulous VisionWalk! We had sunny skies, enthusiastic walkers, and plenty of VisionWalk spirit! With more than 1200 people in attendance this was our largest Chicago VisionWalk raising over $316,000 for research!!

The Inaugural Hampton Roads VisionWalk was a tremendous success! Over $70,000 was raised for sight saving research! Thanks to each and every one of our over 500 VisionWalkers!

Over 200 guests joined the St. Louis Chapter of Foundation Fighting Blindness as they hosted the their 3rd Annual Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Diner on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac. The dinner raised an astounding $480,000 for retinal disease research.

On June 14^th, Foundation Fighting Blindness trustees, Barbara & Joel Stone and Bruce Grieve, hosted the 11^th Annual Artistry of Wine event at the Green acres Country Club in Northbrook.  We had sunny skies, over 200 guests, and plenty of great food and a superb selection of wine & spirits.   With over 60 baskets in our Silent Auction this year, guests were lined up and eager to bid on some fantastic items.  We had a lovely tasting palette this year with four new tasting stations in addition to ten restaurants that have attended in previous years.  Artistry of Wine would not have been possible without the leadership of our event chairs Joel & Barbara Stone, our Honorary chair Bruce Grieve, and the entire planning committee.  Leading sponsors include: Gordon & Llura Gund, Joel & Barbara Stone, Fields Auto Group, and Leo Burnett Worldwide.   Another big thank you to our sponsors, donors and attendees who helped make this year’s event a huge success.  With everyone’s devoted work we surpassed our goal of $60,000 and have hit $63,753 with money still coming in- what an incredible success! 

Thank you to everyone who joined  us for the 4th Annual Utah VisionWalk at Sugar House Park – Salt Lake City! We had over 150 walkers and 19 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $31,000 (and counting) for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted the inaugural Minneapolis Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner on Wednesday, May 23 at the Marquette Hotel, Minneapolis.  The Foundation proudly honored Matt Clysdale, President Maguire Agency and Dr. Raymond Iezzi, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic.  The event was co-chaired by Mark Valenziano and Julie Anderson.

Congratulations Dallas VisionWalkers!

We had a wonderful walk day on Saturday, May 19th with over 600 participants walking with us. Thanks to everyone who came out and made the day so much fun! Together we have raised over $75,000 and we're not stopping there! We can continue to collect donations until June 30th, so be sure to turn in any last minute donations to help get us to our $125,000 goal. You can send donations to:

Thank you to everyone who joined  us for the 7^th Annual Orange County VisionWalk at Angel Stadium - Anaheim! We had over 500 walkers and 38 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $115,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

Great job on a fabulous New York City VisionWalk! On Saturday, April 21^st we had sunny skies, enthusiastic walkers, and plenty of VisionWalk spirit! With more than 500 people in attendance at the Central Park Bandshell this was one of our largest New York City VisionWalks yet!

Over 200 guests joined the Foundation Fighting Blindness and Gavin Herbert Eye Institute as they hosted the Orange County Shine the Light Visionary Awards Diner on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Fairmont Newport Beach.  For the past five years, the focus had been on the darkness associated with vision loss through the Dining in the Dark theme, but this year we decided to “Shine the Light” as we highlighted cutting-edge research and progressive clinical trials that light the way to finding treatments, preventions, and cures for blinding eye diseases.

The 3rd Annual Celebration for Luncheon and Card Party was held on Monday, April 2, 2012 at Boca Rio Country Club in beautiful Boca Raton, Florida. 

On Saturday, November 5, 2011 Glen and Sharyn Davidson hosted the 2011 Hoe-Down on their Magnolia Farm in Tallahassee, Florida. The fundraiser raised almost $73,000 with 600 guests in attendance for all the festivities.

We enjoyed an absolutely perfect day on Sunday, October 23rd, welcoming over 350 walkers to the beautiful UCLA campus- Dickson Court South to celebrate our 5th Annual VisionWalk. The Walk surpassed its $100,000 goal, raising over $106,000…a HUGE number for Los Angeles! Thank you to the entire community for making this such a great success.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a chilly October day, to celebrate the 3rd Annual Birmingham VisionWalk at HomewoodPark.

Congratulations on a fantastic VisionWalk!

Thank you Oregon Walkers! The rain held off to create a fabulous day Saturday. Over 150 walkers came out and supported the 5th Annual Oregon VisionWalk!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 4th Annual Las Vegas VisionWalk on Saturday, November 12th

Congratulations on a fabulous VisionWalk! We had a beautiful day on Saturday to celebrate the 4th Annual Houston VisionWalk presented by GE Oil & Gas and Walmart. There were over 600 people in attendance and we are reaching closer to our $150,000 goal!

Over 450 people joined us on a very chilly morning at the Waterfront Park on Saturday. It was an amazing celebration of spirit, energy, and commitment to finding a cure for blindness!

On a beautiful Saturday, October 22^nd we celebrated the 4^th Annual Memphis VisionWalk at Overton Park.   There were 275 people in attendance and we are closing in on our $50,000 goal!

The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted the inaugural North Carolina Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner on Tuesday, October 11th at the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte. The Foundation proudly honored the King of NASCAR, Richard Petty and Sonic Automotive and Speedway Motorsports Chairman and CEO, O. Bruton Smith with the prestigious Visionary Award. The event was chaired by the very first Miss Winston and FFB Board Member, Marilyn Green.

Close to 300 people joined us on a beautiful, sunny fall day at Innsbrook North Shore Commons on October 15th. It was an amazing celebration of spirit, energy, and commitment to finding a cure for blindness!

What an incredible day we had at VisionWalk on Saturday, October 1. Despite the weather, we had over 150 walkers who came out and showed their support! Our teams and families raised over $35,000, which is a great accomplishment.

Other than a little chill, we enjoyed an absolutely perfect day on Saturday, welcoming 565 walkers to beautiful Theodore Berry Friendship Park for our 6th Annual VisionWalk. The Walk has surpassed its $85,000 goal, and piled on a whole lot more to cross the magical $100,000 mark ... a HUGE number for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky! Thank you to the entire community for making this such a great success.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Inaugural Washington VisionWalk at Magnuson Park in Seattle! We had over 200 walkers and 17 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $45,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

What an incredible day we had at VisionWalk on Sunday, September 25. The setting was marvelous, the weather was perfect; and our teams and families raised over $165,000, which is a great accomplishment. There were more than 900 participants who enjoyed a beautiful day at Lake Harriet to celebrate our fundraising efforts and support the Foundation and the critical research it funds.

On Saturday, October 1st more than 250 people came out to Country Park in support of the 2nd Annual Triad VisionWalk. We had a beautiful fall day - the sun was shining, the weather was crisp and the energy and enthusiasm were high!

A family day of fun at Yankee Stadium connects fans with team greats and raises $35,000 for sight-saving research.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 5th Annual St. Louis VisionWalk at Tower Grove Park – Sons of Rest Pavilion on Saturday, September 24! We had over 500 walkers and 24 energetic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $98,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

Nearly 700 people joined us on a chilly, but nice morning at the Indiana Government Center on Saturday, September 24, 2011. It was an amazing celebration of spirit, energy, and commitment to finding a cure for blindness!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Triad VisionWalk Kick Off Luncheon!

We had a great turnout at the Greensboro Auto Auction for the Triad VisionWalk Kick Off Luncheon on Thursday, August 4th. With 30 people in attendance representing new and returning teams, the energy in the room was contagious!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Inaugural Maine VisionWalk at Payson Park in Portland, ME! We had over 75 walkers and 12 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $23,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 3rd Annual Utah VisionWalk at Sugar House Park – Salt Lake City! We had over 250 walkers and 22 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $31,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 5th Annual Bay Area VisionWalk at Golden Gate Park on Saturday, June 4, 2011. Despite the downpour, we had over 150 walkers celebrate with us and 35 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $119,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

On Saturday, May 21st Nashville celebrated its 5th Annual VisionWalk. We had beautiful weather, 350 smiling Walkers, and we have raised more than $80,000 for retinal disease research! Our Nashville VisionWalk thermometer keeps rising so be sure to check out our website often to see the latest fundraising totals!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 4th Annual Baltimore VisionWalk. Over 350 people enjoyed a picture perfect sunny day at Rash Field in the Inner Harbor on June 4th. It was an amazing celebration of spirit, energy, and commitment to finding a cure for blindness!

The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted the 4th Annual San Francisco Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner on Tuesday, May 17 at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco. The Foundation proudly honored the former Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. for his dedication to the San Francisco community and his commitment to driving research of blindness-causing diseases.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 6th Annual Orange County VisionWalk at California State University - Fullerton! We had over 450 walkers and 36 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $72,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

On April 27, 2011, the Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted its Second Annual Tampa/St. Petersburg Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner at the historic Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL. Dinner Co-Chair, Dr. Kamal Majeed, welcomed over 260 guests who joined us as we honored Ronald L. Vaughn, Ph.D., President of The University of Tampa, and the memory of the late Edie Loebenberg, Co-Founder of the Florida Holocaust Museum for their accomplishments and leadership of the Tampa Bay community.

What an amazing day! Channel 4 News Anchor Staci Spanos welcomed everyone to the 3rd Annual Jacksonville VisionWalk on Saturday, May 21. Over 500 participants came out to show their support at the University of North Florida which is 100 more than last year!

Congratulations on an amazing VisionWalk! On Sunday, May 1st we welcomed nearly 300 walkers at Cypress Grove Park in Orlando. We're still adding money to the website so please stay tuned for our final tally. Our initial estimate is that we have raised over $95,000!

Congratulations on an amazing VisionWalk! On Saturday, April 9th we welcomed nearly 300 walkers at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers. The Southwest Florida VisionWalk has raised over $21,000!

The San Diego Dining in the Dark was held on Wednesday, June 1 at the San Diego Hilton Resort & Spa. Honoree David Eveleth, Ph.D., Vice President & Disease Area Head of Ophthalmology for Pfizer, was recognized for his dedication to eye health and research.

The San Francisco Dining in the Dark was held on Tuesday, May 17 at the Palace Hotel. This year’s Visionary Award was presented to the Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr., the celebrated former Mayor of San Francisco who has retinitis pigmentosa.

More than two years ago, after Davida Luehrs co-founded the Foundation’s Northern Virginia chapter, she asked FFB staff if it would be OK to host a “coffee social,” an informal get-together at a local coffee shop, as a way to bring in new volunteers while allowing retinal-disease sufferers to share their stories.

Gearing up for the Baltimore VisionWalk, 7th grade leader Bjorn Brooks rallied his classmates to support sight-saving research, appearing on ABC 7 News in Washington, D.C., as well as FOX 45 News in Baltimore. Check out these other VisionWalk-inspired articles and television segments that highlight the incredible efforts of Foundation volunteers: Fairfax County Times, Jersey Journal, WTMJ 4’s Morning Blend in Milwaukee, Wake Living, San Antonio Express-News, Orlando Sentinel, and many more!

On Wednesday, May 25, nearly 300 guests from the NYC fashion industry gathered at the Ritz-Carlton in Battery Park for the inaugural Fashion Ball: Dining in the Dark to honor fashion visionaries who have supported FFB’s urgent mission to drive research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by the spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

The second St. Louis Dining in the Dark was held on Wednesday, May 11 at the St. Louis Frontenac Hilton. This year’s honorees were William “Billy” Devaney, General Manager of the St. Louis Rams and Angela and Stephen Strum, Community Outreach Chair and Character Council Advisor & Shareholder, Sandberg Phoenix & Von Gontard P.C.

The 2nd Annual Celebration for Luncheon and Card Party was held on Monday, April 4, 2011 at Boca Rio Country Club in beautiful Boca Raton, Florida. It was co-chaired by the Isens, Rushs, and Stones.

Way to go Southwest Florida!

Congratulations on an amazing VisionWalk! On Saturday, April 9th we welcomed nearly 300 walkers at Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers. We're still adding money to the website so please stay tuned for our final tally. Our initial estimate is that we have raised nearly $20,000!

"Turning the Corner: From Laboratory Studies to Clinical Trials"

Dallas, TX – On February 23, more than 500 guests joined the Foundation Fighting Blindness to honor one of Texas’ first ladies, Ebby Halliday, with A Roast & Toast for her 100th birthday.

More than 300 leaders from Washington, D.C.’s political and lobbying communities came together March 29 to honor two visionaries and benefit the Foundation’s mission to drive retinal research. At the 9th Annual ‘For the Love of Sight’ Visionary Awards dinner, U.S. Senator John Boozman from Arkansas and Smith W. “Smitty” Davis, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, were honored for their accomplishments and strong Foundation support.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted its 5th Annual Orange County Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at the Fairmont Newport Beach.  This year’s Dinner honorees, J. Andy Corley, Co-Founder, eyeonics, Inc., Surgical Strategy Advisor, Bausch + Lomb Incorporated and Baruch D. Kuppermann, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering, Chief of the Retina Service, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine were honored for their commitment to the advancement of science and technology that drive the vital research towards treating and preventing retinal degenerative diseases.

On Wednesday, January 19, more than 350 guests arrived at The Plaza Hotel in New York City for the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ Banking on a Cure New York Visionary Awards Dinner.

What an incredible day we had on Saturday, October 23rd for the 2nd Annual Louisville VisionWalk! The setting was great, the weather was perfect, and we had nearly 300 participants with great dedication, enthusiasm and energy! You brought in over $9,000 on walk day, which brings our total up to over $23,000!

What an incredible day we had at Butler University on Saturday, October 2nd for the 4th Annual Indianapolis VisionWalk! We had a great turnout even with the rain pouring down on us - over 500 participants with great dedication, enthusiasm and energy! We hope you were able to join us and enjoy the activities, food and friendship.

On Saturday, November 13th, we welcomed over 250 walkers out at Freedom Park in Charlotte for the 4th Annual Charlotte VisionWalk. Thanks to the support of the Charlotte Commnity, we’ve raised over $62,000 for our fight for sight.

On Tuesday, November 30, the Foundation hosted its Baltimore Visionary Awards Dinner at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Three prominent members of the community – David Cordish, chairman of the Cordish Companies; Ray Lewis, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens; and Buffy Smith, vice president of the Ray Lewis Foundation – were honored with the Foundation’s Visionary Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions and commitments made to the Baltimore community and the Foundation’s mission.

Last spring, Frank Keane and the members of a RZR Off-Roading Forum rallied together to generously support one of their fellow members, Chad Johnson. Chad’s son, Cody, suffers from a rare disease known as Usher syndrome, a devastating condition causing both deafness and vision loss. They raised almost $20,000 for critical research through the Foundation’s Race to Cure Blindness Program.

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and joined us for the 4th Annual Oregon VisionWalk at Duniway Park!  We had over 225 walkers and 28 fantastic teams participate in this year’s VisionWalk to help Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $34,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

The St.Margaret Mary Knights of Columbus Council #11091 sponsored the 11th Annual Hammer Open Charity Classic on Sunday, August 22nd.  Held at the Golf Club of Illinois in Algonquin, it included 94 golfers, over 50 sponsors, and 18 volunteers.  Once again, we were blessed with terrific weather, and participants who were generous in their support of our charities.

Congratulations to the Columbus Chapter!

On Friday, September 17 the Columbus Chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness held their 2^nd Annual Central Ohio Golf for Sight Classic at Cooks Creek Golf Club in Ashville, OH. The event was a huge success, with 50 participants and an impressive $7,800 raised to support critical research for retinal degenerative diseases. Golf enthusiasts participated to support the important work of the Foundation while enjoying a relaxing afternoon at one of Ohio’s premier courses rated 4 ½ stars by Golf Digest. Eighteen holes of golf was coupled with a post-round awards ceremony, cookout and silent auction.

On Saturday, October 23rd over 450 friends gathered at Rose Hill Farm to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Western Classic and Barbecue. This year’s event featured entertainment by Cadillac Sky, Gary P. Nunn and of course the Lea Brothers Band. We’re pleased to announce that the event raised well over $90,000! 

The bi-yearly Visions Ball took place on October 16, 2010 at 6:30 pm at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago.  The gala raised over $600,000 to drive research for treatments and cures for blindness caused by retinal diseases.  The event had 320 attendees.

On behalf of the San Diego Chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, we thank you for sharing in the success of the 2010 Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner.

This year’s Kansas City VisionWalk was a chilly 94 degrees compared to last year, and it was a GREAT day! More than 300 participants enjoyed walking around Kauffman Gardens and Theis Park to celebrate our fundraising efforts in support of the Foundation and the critical research it funds. Our teams and families did another amazing job of fundraising. We are still collecting donations over the next month to get as close as we can to our goal.

Hundreds of walkers gathered in Golden Gate Park for another beautiful Bay Area VisionWalk day of sunny skies and perfect walk weather.  Everyone worked together to raise over $115,000 for sight-saving research and the donations are still coming in!

The inaugural Philadelphia Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner was held on Thursday, June 3, 2010, at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center. The evening honored two visionaries: Stuart L. Fine, M.D., Director Emeritus, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania and Alan M. Laties, M.D., Harold G. Scheie-Nina C. Mackall Research Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania.

More than 350 participants gathered for the Northern Virginia VisionWalk on Saturday, May 8, 2010.  After a rainy morning, the skies opened up just in time for terrific Walk weather at Brown’s Chapel Park in Reston, Virginia.

Over 400 participants braved the heat to join the fight for sight at Lake Lynn Park on Saturday, June 5th. Thank you all so much for your support of the 5th Annual Triangle VisionWalk. Including the donations that came in on Walk day, we have raised over $100,000 and donations are still coming in. Keep checking the website to watch our thermometer rise!

On the white sands of Siesta Key Beach, June 5, 2010, more than 100 pro and amateur athletes participated in the U.S. International Federation of Beach Tennis Tournament 2010 Open Event where a portion of the proceeds benefitted the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Click here to read the Sarasota Herald Tribune’s article about the tournament.

The Foundation congratulates more than a thousand walk teams from across the country that have worked tirelessly to raise money and awareness over the past five years. The following stories highlight the passion and determination of three teams that have been with VisionWalk since the beginning, and in some cases, before the beginning:

Great Job Eastern Michigan!

We could not have asked for better weather for our 3rd annual Eastern Michigan VisionWalk on Saturday, May 15. We are still collecting donations and we have until June 30 as we are so close to our goal of $70,000! We are $5,000 away from our Walk goal. There were more than 300 participants who enjoyed a beautiful day at Hines Park to celebrate our fundraising efforts in support of the Foundation and the critical research it funds.

Co-Chaired by Dr. Jim Schott and Lee Corso of ESPN
Congratulations, Central Florida! Thank you to everyone involved for making this year’s walk a huge success!

The Foundation Fighting Blindness partnered yet again with the San Jose Sharks to host an unforgettable Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoff draft that took place on Monday, April 12, 2010 at The Grill at HP Pavilion.

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday, March 6th for the Nashville VisionWalk Kick Off Luncheon! More than 70 people came out to enjoy a great lunch and learn about the Nashville VisionWalk. There was lots of enthusiasm and excitement in the room and we left confident that our $75,000 goal is well within our reach!

The 2nd New York Dining in the Dark was an exceptional success raising over $600,000 for retinal research.  Congratulations and great appreciation are extended to our co-chairs, Jordan Lichtenstein and Iris Spiegel, and the entire New York Dining in the Dark fundraising committee for their hard work and dedication.  

Despite the rainy afternoon, more than 100 walkers gathered on Saturday, November 14th for the 2nd Annual Westchester-Fairfield VisionWalk at Kenisco Dam Plaza.

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and joined us for the 3rd Annual Oregon VisionWalk at Duniway Park! Over 215 walkers made up of 27 fantastic teams participated in this year’s VisionWalk to help the Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $32,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!

More than 300 guests, including several local dignitaries, professional athletes and community leaders, gathered on September 29 at M&T Bank Stadium to support the Foundation Fighting Blindness and honor the extraordinary philanthropy of Art and Pat Modell and Bruce and Bonnie Sawyer. The Third Baltimore Visionary Awards Dinner raised more than $300,000 to bolster the Foundation’s urgent mission to find cures for retinal degenerative diseases, which affect more than 10 million Americans.

More than 350 participants joined the fight against blindness on Saturday, June 6th at the 4th Annual Triangle VisionWalk, held at Lake Lynn Park in Raleigh, NC.

The 2nd annual San Diego Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner was held on Thursday, June 4, 2009, at the elegant US Grant. The evening began with a reception that included a silent auction and wine tasting from a variety of California Vineyards. The 225 guests enjoyed butler-passed h’or dourves as they perused silent auction items and sampled vintages from California wineries.

Chaired by Doria Brooks
Despite the rainy weather on Saturday, May 2, 2009, almost 200 walkers came out to Druid Hill Park in support of FFB’s 2nd Annual Baltimore VisionWalk!

The Foundation Fighting Blindness held its inaugural Los Angeles Dining in the Dark on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, in the Crystal Ballroom of the historical Beverly Hills Hotel. The evening honored three visionaries: Mark S. Humayun, M.D., Ph.D., of Doheny Eye Institute, and Marsha and Fred Wolinsky, who are devoted supporters and fundraising leaders of FFB.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted its inaugural Westchester-Fairfield Dining in the Dark on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester.

On Thursday, April 2, 2009, several members of the Dallas / Fort Worth community gathered at The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas for the second annual Dallas Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner to benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Once again, the event was an incredible success and an unforgettable experience for its participants.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness and the San Jose Sharks partnered for another year to host a wonderfully successful Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoff draft held on Monday, April 13, 2009, at The Grill at HP Pavilion.

The Boston Chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness celebrated its 20th Anniversary Gala, Shades of Spring, on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston. The Gala was attended by 300 prominent Bostonians who came out to support the Foundation.

On Friday, March 20, 2009, several members of the Orange County community gathered at The Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach for the third annual Orange County Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner to benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Once again, the event was an incredible success and an unforgettable experience for its participants.

On Saturday, December 6, 2008 the Foundation Fighting Blindness welcomed 110 guests at the Carolina Inn for the 3rd Annual Holiday Blind Wine Tasting.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted its inaugural New York Dining in the Dark Visionary Award Dinner on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park.  The event’s Visionary Award recipients, David M. Fastenberg, M.D., founding partner of Long Island and Queens Vitreoretinal Consultants, and Richard Schaeffer, retired chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, were recognized for their outstanding contributions and commitment to the New York community and the Foundation’s urgent mission to drive research that will put an end to retinal degenerative diseases. More than 275 of the most distinguished business and community leaders from New York City joined us for an evening that raised more than $320,000 for critical research.

More than 200 community and business leaders attended FFB’s inaugural Baltimore Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott on November 21, 2008 to experience a highly memorable journey of taste, sound, and touch, all in the darkness of a packed ballroom.

Sunday, November 9, 2008 marked the 3rd Annual Fort Lauderdale VisionWalk! As the sun was rising and Volunteers were still busy putting finishing touches on what proved to be an outstanding event, 350 participants started trickling in to enjoy themselves. The fanfare included everything from a breakfast spread and snacks provided by Publix Supermarkets to an amazing face painter and clown, bounce house and slide. The DJ played walk tunes and invited everyone to gather round for the Team Spirit Contest. The winner of the Team Spirit prizes went to the Retinal Transformers Team who won best Team T-shirt.

Co-Chairs, Kimberly Grimm and Melissa Rees

Over 200 Central Florida residents came out on Saturday, November 22, 2008 in support of the Orlando Chapter’s 12th Annual Dancing in the Dark benefiting the Foundation Fighting Blindness. It was an evening to remember for all; beautiful décor, delicious food, plentiful wine, live entertainment and many exciting raffles. There was something for everyone to enjoy.

Chaired by Sharyn & Glen Davidson

Saturday, November 1, 2008 marked the first ever Tallahassee VisionWalk!  The cool weather for the Volunteers to set up at 6 AM soon turned into a glorious sunny day where over 350 participants came out to enjoy themselves.   Children enjoyed the amazing face painter and clown, bounce house and slide, while others helped themselves to breakfast snacks and food provided by Publix Supermarkets.  DJ Johnny played “These Boots Were Made for Walking”, “Walk Like an Egyptian” and other great Walk tunes.  Blythe Newsome, Co-Host of the 107.1 Magic Morning Show, lent her radio voice to round up the troops and welcome everyone to the wonderful event.  She then handed out Team Spirit prizes to the Magnolia Girls Team who won best Team T-shirt.

The Memphis VisionWalk was a huge success! Over 200 walkers joined us at Overton Park on October 18, 2008. Everyone attending VisionWalk was truly doing their part to help raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. In its first year the Memphis VisionWalk raised over $40,000!

More than 500 walkers gathered at UCLA for the 2nd Annual Los Angeles VisionWalk on October 26th.  It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning as participants gathered in support of a great cause.

The New York region proudly hosted the 7th Annual New Jersey Taste for Sight event at the Green Brook Country Club in North Caldwell, New Jersey on Thursday, October 23, 2008. This event continues to be a great source of fundraising support from our New Jersey members, attended by over 225 guests.

Co-Chaired by Melissa Escobio & April Lufriu

Saturday, October 11th, 2008 was an amazing day in Tampa for the hundreds of walkers that came in support of FFB’s first ever Tampa Bay VisionWalk event! Before the first ray of light, volunteers were already busy at work putting the final touches on what proved to be a fantastic event. The fanfare included everything from a fabulous breakfast spread provided by Einstein Bagels, Sweetbay Supermarkets and Amy Hartman; to a bounce house, face painting, music, and even an energetic dance performance from the students of Rizing Starz Dance Academy.

The 2nd Annual Charlotte VisionWalk was a huge success! Over 125 walkers joined us at Freedom Park on September 27, 2008. Everyone attending VisionWalk was truly doing their part to help raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

The San Jose Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoffs draft took place on April 7, 2008 at The Grill located inside of HP Pavilion.

Co-chaired by the Isdaners, Isens, and Stones

The 7th Annual Swing for Sight Golf Tournament and Card Party was held on Monday, May 5, 2008 at the breathtaking Boca Rio Golf Club. The ambience was just right; golden sunshine and immaculately manicured surroundings provided the perfect backdrop for a day of fun and camaraderie.

Co-Chaired by Dr. Jim Schott and Lee Corso of ESPN

Sunday, May 4th, 2008 was an amazing day in Orlando for the hundreds of walkers that came in support of FFB’s 3rd Annual VisionWalk event! As the sun was rising, volunteers were already busy at work putting the final touches on what proved to be a fantastic event.