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Memphis VisionWalk - October 2009
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On a brisk, beautiful Saturday, October 17, an impressive 470 walkers joined us for the Memphis VisionWalk! Congratulations to all those involved in the success of this walk! Your generous outpour of support helped raise almost $40,000 for sight-saving research!
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Pittsburgh VisionWalk - October 2009
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Over 300 people came out to participate in the 2nd Annual Pittsburgh VisionWalk on Saturday, October 10! Congratulations to the 20 fantastic teams that contributed to the success of this walk! Your generous outpour of support helped to raise over $50,000 for sight-saving research!
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DC Taste for Sight - September 2009
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On Saturday, September 26, 2009 the Foundation Fighting Blindness welcomed 130 guests at the Cafritz Mansion at the Field School for the 4th Annual “Taste for Sight” Wine Event.
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Des Moines VisionWalk - October 2009
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An incredible 70 walkers braved the snow and ice on Saturday, October 10 for the Inaugural Des Moines VisionWalk! Congratulations for making this walk a success, despite the unfortunate weather! The generous outpour of support from donors and walkers helped to raise over $15,000 for sight-saving research!
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St. Louis VisionWalk - September 2009
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Over 700 people came out on Saturday, September 26 to participate in the St. Louis VisionWalk! Congratulations to all the teams that contributed to the success of this walk! Your generous outpour of support helped to raise over $100,000 for sight-saving research!
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Indianapolis VisionWalk - September 2009
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Almost 600 people came out to participate in the Indianapolis VisionWalk on Saturday, September 26! Congratulations to the teams that contributed to the success of this walk! Your generous outpour of support helped to raise over $60,000 for sight-saving research!
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Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati VisionWalk - October 2009
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Over 300 people came out on a beautiful Saturday, October 3, to participate in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati VisionWalk! Congratulations to the 18 fantastic teams that contributed to the success of this walk! Your generous outpour of support helped to raise over $40,000 for sight-saving research!
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Long Island VisionWalk - October 2009
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Over 400 walkers gathered on October 25, 2009, for the 3rd Annual Long Island VisionWalk at Jones Beach to raise awareness and funds for the fight against blindness.
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3rd Annual Oregon VisionWalk
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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!
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Baltimore Fights Blindness, Honors Top Philanthropists
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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.
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Ft. Wayne, IN - VisionWalk 2009
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Thank you to everyone who joined us on June 13 for the 3rd Annual Fort Wayne VisionWalk at Headwaters Park, where we raised more than $74,000! More than 450 participants joined us for this inspirational and festive event. We want to give a huge thanks to our Walk Chair, Sarah Zimmerman, the Fort Wayne Fundraising Committee, and to our Chapter President, Jim Platzer. Your leadership and dedication to the VisionWalk are very much appreciated.
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Milwaukee, WI - VisionWalk 2009
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Congratulations to everyone who joined us for a picture perfect day at the Milwaukee VisionWalk on May 31! We reached our goal BEFORE Walk day, raising a total of nearly $64,000, which is a terrific accomplishment. There were more than 600 participants who enjoyed a beautiful spring day on the lakefront to celebrate fundraising efforts in support of FFB and the critical research it funds. Special thanks to our Walk Chairs, Nicole Everson and Bunny Jordan, as well as Youth Chair Alex Callies and our growing Walk Committee ... Nikki Thompson, Sharon Pfeifer, John Heim, Cheri McElhatton, and Kimberly Stark. Your leadership and dedication to the VisionWalk was the driving force behind our success.
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Eastern Michigan VisionWalk 2009
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More than 360 participants joined us for the Eastern Michigan VisionWalk held on a drizzly Saturday morning in Farmington on May 16. Despite the weather, we brought in plenty of additional donations and moved our fundraising thermometer to more than $60,000! We want to give a huge thanks to our Walk Chair, Jason Marcath, the Eastern Michigan Fundraising Committee, and to our Chapter President, Mike Parks. Your leadership and dedication to the VisionWalk are very much appreciated.
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Kansas City VisionWalk 2009
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Thank you to everyone who joined us on a very hot June 27 at the Kansas City VisionWalk to celebrate the Walk’s fundraising success and share the day with friends and family with vision loss. Nearly 300 walkers gathered under the shade of the trees at beautiful Theis Park in support of the Foundation and the critical research it funds. Special thanks to our Walk Chairs, Heather Buster and Sharon Soltz, as well as Youth Chairs Grant Zizzo and Brooke Pernice, who both made our stage presentation much nicer with well-spoken words from Grant and a few songs from Brooke. To the rest of the Walk Committee, Angee and Brent Donelan, KC Chapter president Terry Super, Wendy Weiner, Cynthia Dickinson and Beth Jordan: your leadership and dedication to VisionWalk was the driving force behind our success.
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Cleveland, OH - VisionWalk 2009
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The staff at FFB’s Midwest Office sends out a big ‘Thank you!' to more than 250 walkers and supporters that participated in the first Cleveland VisionWalk on May 9, 2009. Your tremendous support helped us reach our fundraising goal of $50,000! Special kudos to our Walk Chair Dan Gregg, as well as the fundraising committee, volunteers, sponsors, in-kind donors, team captains, and walkers!
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VisionWalk Steps Past the $9 Million Mark
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In just over three years, the Foundation’s VisionWalk program has raised more than $9 million to drive research for sight-saving treatments and cures. More than 28,000 walkers teamed up for 90 walks to achieve this critical fundraising milestone. Hundreds of volunteers, team leaders, and organizers worked tirelessly in their communities to make this all happen.
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Raleigh, NC - Triangle VisionWalk
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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.
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San Diego, CA - Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner
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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.
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San Francisco, CA - Bay Area VisionWalk
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San Francisco surprised us and opened up the skies to beautiful sunshine and warm weather on Saturday, June 6 to help us celebrate in Golden Gate Park for the 3rd Annual Bay Area VisionWalk! Over 300 walkers and a record 44 teams participated in this year’s VisionWalk and helped Foundation Fighting Blindness raise over $110,000 for critical retinal degenerative disease research!
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Sacramento, CA - Sacramento VisionWalk
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The heat broke and air cooled, making for a gorgeous day for the 2nd Annual Sacramento VisionWalk held on Saturday, May 30. Over 200 walkers came to Southside Park to enjoy fun and sun. The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted the event to help raise critical funds and awareness for retinal degenerative diseases in downtown Sacramento; over $34,000 was raised this year!
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Nashville, TN - Nashville VisionWalk
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Despite the rainy weather, more than 150 participants gathered for the Nashville VisionWalk on Saturday, May 16th. The sun finally made an appearance just in time for a beautiful Walk Day at Bicentennial Mall Park in Nashville, TN.
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Newark, NJ - Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoffs
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The New Jersey Devils partnered once again with Foundation Fighting Blindness to host The New Jersey Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoffs on April 13, 2009, at The Restaurant at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ!
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Jacksonville, FL – Inaugural Jacksonville VisionWalk
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Chaired by Suzi Ford and Bobbi Moore
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Delray Beach, FL - Annual Swing for Sight Golf Tournament and Card Party
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Co-chaired by the Isdaners, Isens, and Stones
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Washington, DC - Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Draft & Dinner
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On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, over 60 individuals attended the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ DC Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Draft & Dinner held at Clyde’s of Gallery Place. The evening started with cocktails at 6 pm and continued with the draft and dinner at 7 pm.
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Philadelphia, PA – Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Draft & Dinner
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Chaired by Quinn Spitzer
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Northern Virginia/DC Metro VisionWalk
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More than 250 participants gathered for the Northern Virginia/DC Metro VisionWalk on Saturday, May 9, 2009. After a rainy week, the sun finally made an appearance just in time for a beautiful Walk Day at Cameron Run Regional Park in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Baltimore, MD - 2nd Annual Baltimore VisionWalk
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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!
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Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Dining in the Dark
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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.
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White Plains, NY - Westchester-Fairfield Dining in the Dark
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The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted its inaugural Westchester-Fairfield Dining in the Dark on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester.
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Chicago, IL - Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Draft & Dinner
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Chair: Steve Thompson
On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 60 individuals attended the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ Chicago Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Draft & Dinner held at the Ketel One Club in United Center. The evening started with cocktails at 6pm and continued with the draft and dinner at 7pm.
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Fort Myers, FL – 3rd Annual Southwest FL VisionWalk
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Chaired by Jim Buckley
Saturday, March 28, 2009 was an amazing day in Southwest FL for the hundreds of walkers that came in support of FFB’s 3rd Annual Southwest Florida VisionWalk event!
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Orlando, FL – 4th Annual Orlando VisionWalk
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Co-Chaired by Dr. Jim Schott and Lee Corso of ESPN
Congratulations, Central Florida!
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Dallas, TX - Dallas Dining in the Dark 2009
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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.
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San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Dining in the Dark
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The Foundation Fighting Blindness hosted its 2nd Annual San Francisco Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.
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San Jose, CA - San Jose Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoffs
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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.
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Boston, MA - 20th Anniversary Gala, Shades of Spring
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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.
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Orange County, CA - Orange County Dining in the Dark
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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.
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For the Love of Sight Valentine’s Party
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Gordon Gund, chairman and co-founder of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, delighted more than 200 guests at the 7th Annual “For the Love of Sight Valentine’s Party” by showing a Good Morning America report on gene therapy that is restoring some vision in young people who were virtually blind from a severe form of retinitis pigmentosa.
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Denver, CO - VisionWalk 2008
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What a beautiful day in Cheesman Park for a 5K Walk to cure blindness! With almost 500 people surrounding the huge concrete pavilion, it was such a magnificent sight. Teams, family and friends were spread out among the lovely flower beds, trees and landscape, having lots of fun, family entertainment. Over 50 teams were represented at the 3rd Annual Colorado VisionWalk presented by Walmart Vision Centers held on Saturday, September 27.
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Chapel Hill, NC - Holiday Blind Wine Tasting
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On Saturday, December 6, 2008 the Foundation Fighting Blindness welcomed 110 guests at the Carolina Inn for the 3rd Annual Holiday Blind Wine Tasting.
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New York, NY – New York Dining in the Dark
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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. |
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Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Dining in the Dark
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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. |
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Fort Lauderdale, FL – 3rd Annual Fort Lauderdale VisionWalk
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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.
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Winter Park, FL – 12th Annual Dancing in the Dark
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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. |
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Tallahassee, FL – Inaugural Tallahassee VisionWalk
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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. |
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Philadelphia, PA – 2nd Annual Philadelphia VisionWalk
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More than 300 participants gathered for the 2nd Annual Philadelphia VisionWalk on October 11th. After a chilly morning start, the day turned out to be bright and sunny and the Walkers enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Fairmount Park in the Wissahickon Park District.
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Memphis, TN - Memphis VisionWalk
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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!
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Los Angeles, CA – 2nd Annual Los Angeles VisionWalk
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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.
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Caldwell, NJ - New Jersey Taste for Sight
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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.
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Tampa, FL – Inaugural Tampa Bay VisionWalk
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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. |
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Charlotte, NC - 2nd Annual Charlotte VisionWalk
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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.
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San Diego, CA - San Diego VisionWalk
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| More than 150 participants gathered for the inaugural San Diego VisionWalk on September 14th. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday after the morning clouds disappeared. Walkers were able to stroll along the Pacific Ocean, as the VisionWalk route weaved throughout Mission Bay Park.
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San Jose, CA - Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoffs
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The San Jose Ultimate Fantasy Hockey Playoffs draft took place on April 7, 2008 at The Grill located inside of HP Pavilion.
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Swing for Sight 2008 Boca Golf Tournament & Card Party
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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.
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Orlando, FL – 3rd Annual Orlando VisionWalk
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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.
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