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:

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.