A rare congenital disorder is robbing the sight from Finley Pletcher's beautiful blue eyes. The 4-year-old has been declared legally blind and retains about 10 percent usable vision. She will eventually go blind.

At 5 years old, Jack Hogan plays in the local Cal Ripken Instructional League for the Dodgers, but his favorite team is the New York Yankees.

Like many boys his age, Jack would like to play ball in the regular leagues. But he may never get the chance.

James "Bubba" Frigo, Jr. suffers from a blinding disease. But that's not stopping him from fulfilling his goal of biking across the country this summer.

When she was diagnosed with an incurable blinding retinal disease 38 years ago, Judy Kahl remembers her doctor consoling her and then handing her a discount bus transportation card.

Bringing hope to people facing congenital blindness, researchers announced last year a gene therapy treatment that restored some vision in children with the condition. The treatment was the first of many funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, whose mission since the 1970s has been to find prevention, treatments and cures for rare retinal diseases that cause blindness.

Dallas residential real estate queen Ebby Halliday has been named a national trustee for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

“Ebby has made significant contributions, in a variety of ways, to our research efforts to create treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases,” said Bill Schmidt, Foundation Fighting Blindness CEO. “We are appreciative of the contributions she has made to our mission and we look forward to her ongoing leadership and support."

James "Bubba" Frigo, Jr. graduated high school and got on his bicycle.
"I wanted to do something big that people would remember," said Frigo.

James "Bubba" Frigo, Jr. suffers from a blinding disease. But that's not stopping him from fulfilling his goal of biking across the country this summer.

After a celebratory visit to the Foundation’s headquarters in Baltimore and some brotherly love from Foundation members in Philadelphia, the Frigos arrived to a media blitz at their final destination of New York City on July 22. For the Frigo family, it was a memorable and rewarding 40-day cross country bike ride to raise money for sight-saving research. 

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has elected Jeffrey Boatright, PhD, as president. Boatright is a researcher at Emory Eye Center and an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology in Emory University School of Medicine. He will assume the presidency in May 2011.

Mark Arnold is not Tiger Woods. Not in that way, anyway. Unlike the mega-million dollar golf pro, Arnold’s not about to fire his coach, Mike Schmock, but he at least wants to give him a good ribbing.

A fundraiser for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching and treating degenerative retinal disease, is planned Saturday at US Bank in Keizer.

KANSAS CITY, MO. - Join Paige Mead in Kansas City's third annual Vision Walk. She was diagnosed with a retinal disease called CNVM as an adult. She's now lost the central vision in one eye. But the FFB, the Foundation Fighting Blindness, is working to find a cure.

This year, 116 medical, dental, and veterinary students from 47 schools across the country will take a break from memorizing molecular metabolism and studying drug interactions to spend a year in a lab doing hands-on research. The break from regular coursework, funded through a $4 million Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) initiative, is intended to give students an opportunity to immerse themselves in science and consider whether they want to pursue a career as a physician-scientist.

James Frigo wants to see the nation while he still can. He’s only 18, but already he’s lost nearly all of his peripheral vision and could be blind by the time he’s 40.

The students of Baden Elementary School participated in a "mock" VisionWalk on Friday, May 28, 2010 to raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The event, which raised $3,000, was organized by Baden sixth grader, Bjorn Brooks, who has a retinal degenerative disease known as retinitis pigmentosa, a vision-robbing condition that has left him legally blind.

Local residents will support the fight against blindness Saturday for the fourth annual Fort Wayne VisionWalk.
The 5K walk will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Germanfest, located at Headwaters Park on Clinton Street. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on the morning of the event. Those who register ahead of time at www.visionwalk.org, however, will be awarded free admission to Germanfest, along with two free food tickets to be used at the festival.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have found a way to use a radical new type of gene therapy to prevent blindness caused by retinitis pigmentosa, giving hope to the estimated 100,000 Americans who suffer from this debilitating disease. The study appears in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB).

Baden Elementary School sixth-grader Bjorn Brooks, 12, of Brandywine, who has a retinal degenerative disease that has left him legally blind, led 240 of his fellow students on a walk May 28 to raise awareness about the disease.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness presents the third annual San Diego Dining in the Dark at the US Grant Hotel on Thursday, June 10, from 6-9:30pm. Dining in the Dark is a distinctive sensory awareness experience that allows guests to participate in an unforgettable dining adventure into the unfamiliar world of the blind and visually impaired by dining in complete darkness. Guests will enjoy dinner served by visually impaired and blind waiters, while experiencing all tastes, sounds, and textures in absolute darkness. The gala will benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ mission to drive the research that will provide a means for prevention, treatment, and cures for those affected by retinal degenerative diseases.

James "Bubba" Frigo wants to see the country while he still can.
In 2008, Frigo, 18, was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative condition that typically results in blindness by the age of 40. A few months later, while on a bike ride with his father, James Sr., he had an idea.

Within the 16-by-8-meter sand courts, the sharks of beach tennis volleyed the balls with intensity.
On the sidelines, players in the queue dug their toes in the sand, sipped on beers and swayed to the tropical music on Siesta Key Beach.
More than 100 athletes from the U.S., Italy and Aruba gathered for the eight-hour Siesta Key Beach Tennis Open on Saturday.

Dining In The Dark was held on June 3rd at The Sheraton in Philadelphia (17th and Race). What an awesome and unique experience for all who attended! Guests experienced a journey into a world without vision. I really appreciated my sight and vision when it was all said and done! My senses of taste, sound, and touch were enhanced as well as trust. I kept thinking the waiter was going to drop food on my lap, and what was I really eating? And of course, what about my keys, wallet and cell phone? Did I still have them?

On June 14 James "Bubba" Frigo and his father James Sr., will bike ride cross country to New York City for Frigo's Big Challenge, a journey to help raise awareness of Retinitis Pigmentosa, an incurable eye disease Bubba is losing his sight from.

He's only 18 years old, but James Frigo Jr. has been dealt some pretty tough hands in his lifetime.
As a motocross rider, he suffered a lacerated spleen and then a broken back. The injuries forced him to give up two things he dearly loves ---- motocross and football.

The acclaimed agent offers her expert advice to new authors through auctions that benefit research to cure deafness and blindness.
Prospective authors, have you ever wanted to get your manuscript in front of a top-notch literary agent? Well, you could send your manuscripts in over the transom and risk the slush pile, or you could try agent Irene Goodman's latest charity eBay auctions and do some good if you get your manuscript read.

A 3.8-mile race at Irvine Lake in July will benefit the Gavin Stevens Foundation's search for the causes of and treatments for Leber's Congenital Amaurosis.

There was a 30-second trial of the darkness that enveloped those in attendance at the Foundation for Fighting Blindness’ inaugural Richmond Dining in the Dark event held last Thursday.

The Third Annual Dining in the Dark Gala, which goes down tomorrow evening, aims to raise awareness for degenerative eye diseases by serving guests top-notch culinary fare  in complete darkness. The event, which benefits the Foundation Fighting Blindness, hopes to give guests insight into what it's like to be affected by blindness.

A group that raises money to battle blindness is holding a fundraising dinner in Philadelphia next month -- in the dark.

More than nine million Americans and their families are being affected by inherited retinal degenerative diseases. Simple acts such as reading a newspaper are special challenges that most people don’t consider, but that many must cope with on a daily basis.

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah Blaze are pleased to announce their support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and participation in the 2010 Utah Vision Walk. The Utah Vision Walk will be taking place Saturday, May 1, 2010 at Sugarhouse Park.

More than 10 million Americans are affected by diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration that cause blindness. Alarmingly, with an aging population, that number is expected to increase 50 percent by 2020. While many of us have never heard of these diseases, let alone understand their causes and effects, the possibility of their disrupting our lives or the lives of those around us, is significant. Here, in neighborhoods across Fort Wayne, people of all ages meet the challenges of life with blinding diseases every day.

San Francisco resident Janni Lehrer-Stein is hosting the Foundation Fighting Blindness third annual Dining in the Dark gala May 11. Lehrer-Stein was diagnosed more than 20 years ago with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited condition that leads to progressive vision loss. The gala raises money for research and clinical trials for blindness causing diseases.

HIGHLANDS RANCH - Earlier this year, Lee Shayler lost both his job and his eyesight. Feeling down, he decided he needed to do something to get his life back on track.
Shayler decided to take on the challenge of walking 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours. Something only a few people have ever accomplished.

Yvonne Felix beams with enthusiasm, like a classical painting that appears to have its own inner source of light.
She isn't letting the fact she is legally blind stop her from looking to the future. Or dampen her determination to pursue a career in art.

Blind Highlands Ranch man to foot 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours.

Veterinary ophthalmology researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to restore retinal cone function and day vision in two canine models of congenital achromatopsia, also called rod monochromacy or total color blindness.

After the baseball or soccer game this weekend, take the family to Lions Park for the 63rd Fish Fry sponsored by the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club. Besides deep-fried cod and fries, there will be hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie, popcorn, sodas and more.

CB Holding Corp., parent company of Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse, and The Office Beer Bar & Grill restaurants, today announced it will participate in the Foundation Fighting Blindness New York VisionWalk on May 23, 2010 in Central Park.

WASHINGTON - FOX 5 reporter, Gurvir Dhindsa visited Baden Elementary School in Brandywine, Maryland. Her visit was to spotlight the students there who laced up there sneakers and hit the pavement for a good cause.

Former Swindon employee who knows he may never see his children’s faces again hopes his steps will raise money for charity.
Lee Shayler, 49, who went completely blind at Christmas, is aiming to complete 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours.

Principal Management Group (PMG) of North Texas joined recently the fight to cure blindness in the annual “2010 Vision Walk” hosted by the Foundation for Fighting Blindness.

On little league fields across the country, there are dreams as far as the eye can see.
7 year old Jack Morris from Ballwin, MO would like one day, to be a major leaguer.

Baden Elementary Students to Walk in Support of Sixth Grader, Bjorn Brooks, who Suffers from a Vision-Robbing Condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa.

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. -- When 18-year-old James "Bubba" Frigo, Jr., looks at the night sky, he can no longer see the stars. In 2008, a doctor specializing in inherited eye disorders diagnosed Bubba with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disorder in which photoreceptor cells in the retina die, leading to a gradual decline of vision.

New York City - Optelec U.S. Inc., a world leader in innovative and life changing assistive technologies for the blind and visually impaired, is bringing its VisionZone initiative, a nationwide movement to promote ocular health awareness, to the Foundation Fighting Blindness New York VisionWalk on May 23, 2010 in Central Park.

On Sunday, May 23rd, the non-profit organization Foundation Fighting Blindness hosts its New York VisionWalk. Join thousands of participants walking the 5K to raise awareness and money (more than $400,000) for the research of retinal degenerative diseases, as well as learn more about the importance of eye health, supporting resources and assistive technologies through the VisionZone LIVE experience.

STERLING — One Sterling Elementary School fourth-grader is fighting a disease head-on and was in Westland on Saturday to speak to others about his condition and raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Judging strictly from the din, the occasional loud boos, and the outbursts of raucous laughter, a visitor would have been forgiven for thinking he had wandered into a middle school cafeteria or college frat party.

Somehow in all these years as a San Franciscan I never learned that former mayor Willie Brown has long suffered from retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive disease that has nearly blinded him. But at last night's Dining in the Dark event benefiting the Foundation Fighting Blindness, I not only heard Brown's story but spent a meal finding out what it's like to see--or not to see--the dinner table through his failing eyes.

As part of an on-going effort to benefit millions of Americans who are losing their sight to retinal degenerative diseases, the annual Retinal Innovation Symposium and Dining in the Dark event will be held March 25, 2010 at the Fairmont Newport Beach Hotel in Newport Beach, California.

View the video about the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the research, and the Atlanta VisionWalk.

When I graduate in a few months, my mom will be bringing baked treats for my masters, embarrassing me in front of my friends and smiling in pride when I receive my degree and skip through the Sallyport. She'll be doing the things that a mother of a 22-year-old should be doing, and better than I ever could have asked.

But she won't be seeing me in the same way as the rest of my family.

PHILADELPHIA – Gene therapy for a severe inherited blindness, which produced dramatic improvements last year in 12 children and young adults who received the treatment in a clinical trial, has cleared another hurdle. The same research team that conducted the human trial now reports that a study in animals has shown that a second injection of genes into the opposite, previously untreated eye is safe and effective, with no signs of interference from unwanted immune reactions following the earlier injection.

W. Ross Macdonald School student Molly Burke was a ground-breaker last year, when she became the first visually impaired girl ever to win the Miss Teen Canada International pageant.

The National Institutes of Health is proposing to expand its definition of human embryonic stem cells, enabling the university researchers it finances to work with cells derived from a very early human egg.

He was going blind and now, after 23 monthly treatments for macular degeneration at Retina Health Center, he can see.

LOS ANGELES, Dec 17, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----On the heels of unveiling the new Stadium to the Sea course for the 2010 race, LA Marathon officials today announced a larger-than-ever charity program that will aid 60 non-profit organizations raising funds for causes ranging from cancer research to gang intervention to cleaning up coastal waters.

The Cleveland-based George Gund Foundation has announced fifty-six grants totaling $4.9 million to Ohio nonprofits working in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, the environment, and the arts.

We settled into our seat, threw a leg up on the banquet and got comfy. We felt around for the bread basket and stuck a finger in the butter, once by mistake, the second time because we wanted butter for our bread. We then made a series of funny faces at one another for good measure.

On February 12, 2007, Nancy Kerrigan was named a National Spokesperson for The Foundation Fighting Blindness. This is a charity that helps to support the much needed research that is seeking to find solutions for those people affected by retinal degenerative diseases. Nancy has a Mother who is blind so this is a charity very dear to her heart.

Please join us on Thursday, May 13th for the inaugural wine tasting event at Fenway Park benefiting the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB).

Judy Kahl is looking for a miracle.

Actually, she’s looking for a second miracle. Her first miracle, she said, was the two cochlear implants that let her hear again. The second miracle would be her eyesight.

Enhanced Vision and Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) join forces to raise awareness for research, prevention and solutions to assist people with low vision.We are very excited to partner with Enhanced Vision to campaign for low vision awareness and promote independence to our constituents. Enhanced Vision has been very supportive of the Foundation for many years.

On Jan. 28 at the Plaza, Foundation Fighting Blindness will hold a benefit starting with cocktails at 6 p.m. From 7 to 9, dinner will be served in total darkness.

In addition to his own foundation, The Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, other work includes The Prince's Trust, United Way, The Starlight Foundation and several leading organizations for AIDS prevention and research. He is the national spokesman for The Foundation Fighting Blindness and a member of the Music Center of Los Angeles. He also created the Manilow Music Project as part of his Manilow Fund for Health and Hope to help head off budget cuts to arts and music programs in schools. His foundation gave $500,000 in musical instruments, sheet music and music stands to 21 schools in California's Coachella Valley.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness (www.FightBlindness.org) hosts its Inaugural VisionWalk in Birmingham on Saturday at Homewood Central Park.

The inaugural Birmingham VisionWalk.

By the time Corey Haas was 7, the retinal disease he was born with had already stolen much of his vision. “He always clung to me or my wife,” said Corey’s father, Ethan Haas.

In December, agent Irene Goodman will auction off 25 critiques for partial manuscripts--a chance for fledgling writers to donate to a worthy cause and polish their work for the agent search.

VisionWalk to assist in the fight against blindness.

The walk kicked off Saturday morning with several volunteers at McClay Gardens Park to help raise money and awareness about retinal diseases.

This Sunday, November 8, Foundation Fighting Blindness will host its second annual 5K San Diego VisionWalk.

If you were to meet Erin Goodwin-Allen, you’d see a beautiful woman in her thirties who appears to be the picture of health. Only after talking with her, do you learn she is visually impaired and sees the world through limited tunnel vision.

Long Island VisionWalk

By the time Corey Haas was 7, the retinal disease he was born with had already stolen much of his vision. “He always clung to me or my wife,” said Corey’s father, Ethan Haas.

Results from a breakthrough study, conducted by researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine iin Philadelphia, show that gene therapy has restored significant vision in five children and seven adults who were previously blind.

SAN DIEGO -- An estimated 18 million Americans are either blind or visually impaired, and in San Diego County that number is around 105,000. Now, a local company's special device is helping improve sight for many visually impaired people, including a teacher in Imperial Beach, 10News reported.

By the time Corey Haas was 7, the retinal disease he was born with had already stolen much of his vision.

Louisville VisionWalk held its first ever event at Waterfront Park Saturday. Money raised, goes to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Since 2006, the program has raised over $10 million for sight-saving research.

Results from a breakthrough study, conducted by researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, show that gene therapy has restored significant vision in five children and seven adults who were previously blind.

9-year-old Corey Hass figured he would never see again: suffering from an inherited disease called Leber’s congenital amaurosis, Corey was classified as legally blind. Naturally, Corey’s family was willing to try anything to give him a chance so that he could participate in normal childhood activities. Thus, when doctors at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offered Corey an opportunity to be part of an experimental gene therapy trial, Corey and his parents decided to take the chance. Miraculously, Corey can see again. In fact, he started seeing results just four days after the procedure.

BOYNTON BEACH, FL -- You're in your 30s, you sing and play guitar, and you perform regularly at area bars and nightclubs.

Successful Experimental Procedure Gives 9-Year-Old Boy the Gene He Was Missing to Restore His Sight

Foundation Fighting Blindness Chief Research Officer Available to Discuss Medical Breakthrough

(CBS) Just over a year ago, 9-year-old Corey Haas and his family feared he would go blind. But, thanks to an experimental procedure, Corey has new outlook on life -- and everything in it.

A single injection in a patient's eye brings 'astounding' results. The findings may offer hope for those with macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

Corey Haas used to need a high schooler to accompany him on the soccer field, to point out where the ball was.

Researchers have developed a new method for identifying retinal precursor cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (those from embryonic tissue) and induced pluripotent stem cells (those from adult skin cells). These precursor cells represent the earliest stages of retinal development. The new method results in a greater yield of retinal cells from stem cells and could be used to better understand disease processes and realize effective treatments for eye disorders.

Stratford's Jodeyne Higgins says she is having a lot of fun entertaining the audience and trying to win $100,000 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Jessie Wolinsky, an Oak Park teen, will lead a team of supporters in Visionwalk ’09 on Sun., Oct. 25 at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades.

Blindness and other eye diseases could be prevented using nanoparticles, a professor from the OU College of Medicine and a team of researchers have discovered.

Foundation Fighting Blindness is a major help in raising awareness and money. The FFB has funded thousands of research studies at prominent institutions all over the world. At this time FFB is responsible for 137 grants at 59 institutions. Since its inception in 1971 the Foundation has raised more than $ 350 million.

A grey circle sits in the middle of your field of vision blocking all but the edges of your sight. Playing basketball means you cannot see the other end of the court or even the basket so you just shoot the ball in the general area and hope for the best.

Cindy Taliani of West Deer still remembers how upsetting it was to learn a decade ago that her then 13-year-old son was going blind.

Editor’s Note: Karen Montagnese, co-president of the Long Island Chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindnes,s has written below about her own experience losing her sight. She urges readers to consider White Cane Safety Day and Long Island VisionWalk.

When Bjorn Brooks steps into the grappling ring, it doesn't matter than he can't make out his opponent's face or the details of the cheering crowd. With his eyes closed and his mind set, the 11-year-old, who suffers from a disease that has robbed him of much of his vision, goes for "the triangle," a submission move for which he has become known.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is currently running a national print public service campaign to raise public awareness of retinal degenerative disease and the critical need for increased research funding.

Blindness first began creeping up on Barbara Campbell when she was a teenager, and by her late 30s, her eye disease had stolen what was left of her sight.

More than ten million Americans are affected by retinal diseases that cause blindness. Local 12's Paula Toti has made raising awareness a personal mission. She's inspired to keep up the fight by people like 91 year old Mary of Fairfield.

At 18, I learned that I had a variety of retinitis pigmentosa. Other than being unable to drive and having difficulty recognizing people, I didn’t have a significant disability until my early 30s. I feel blessed by that because blindness is such a profound stereotype. Blindness scares people and makes it difficult to achieve. People don’t see you as you, they see you as “that blind person.” I was lucky not to have to fight that.

At first, sitting in church one Sunday, Michael Adler couldn't tell what the whitish glow in front of him was.

Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC), a privately-held, clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel systems to deliver human therapeutics, announces that AGTC has entered into an agreement with the National Neurovision Research Institute (NNRI), the clinical trial support organization for the Foundation Fighting Blindness(FFB), to collaborate in experiments using the AAV delivery system in the treatment of two genetic retinal diseases known to cause blindness at an early age. The research will be coordinated by AGTC and will be conducted at The University of Florida, Oregon Health & Science University, The University of Pennsylvania, and The University of British Columbia.

Jini Fairley has raised five children, been celebrated as a Boston Celtics "Hero Among Us" and placed top five in a 5K race, all without her sight.  But the Carroll Center for the Blind admitted the Newton resident into the Carroll Society at its 27th annual awards ceremony for her "outstanding achievement in the work force."

Benefits Foundation Fighting Blindness. 10:30 a.m. June 27, Theis Park, 47th and Oak. www.blindness.org (847-680-0100)

Olathe resident and powerlifter Patrick Donelan will join PGA golfer Tom Pernice Jr. for the Kansas City VisionWalk, which will take place June 27 at Frank A. Theis Park at Brush Creek.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) - Five hundred people laced up their shoes for the third annual VisionWalk in downtown Fort Wayne, Saturday.

MICHIGAN CITY - In a house turned office on Washington Street in Michigan City there is an eye clinic that is trying to keep some of that home-like feel by helping to support finding a cure for diseases that affect their patients.

It was a dining experience that dozens of people will never forget.

Diners attended a Dining in the Dark event put on by the Foundation Fighting Blindness at the US Grant Hotel Thursday night.

It was a dining experience that dozens of people will never forget.

Diners attended a Dining in the Dark event put on by the Foundation Fighting Blindness at the US Grant Hotel Thursday night.

Owings Mills, MD – March 26, 2009 – An innovative technology, employing a tiny capsule implanted in the eye, is stabilizing vision in people suffering from dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Encapsulated Cell Technology (ECT), developed by Rhode Island-based Neurotech, preserved vision in a majority of the 51 people who participated in a Phase II clinical trial.

In 1992, Lex Gillette’s world began to get fuzzy.

The 8-year-old boy - who was born with a visual impairment - went through a series of surgeries to restore his vision. After each procedure, for a short window of time, he could see clearly.

NBC San Diego got great coverage inside the Foundation’s Dining in the Dark experience.

Columnist Tom Blair mentions the Foundation’s Dining in the Dark.

At a recent dinner, I exhibited such poor table manners, I practically turned into a caveman: Tie tucked into my dress shirt, slouched posture with my face hovering closely over the plate, I’d abandoned my knife in favor of stabbing at the meat and bringing it up to my mouth in one chunk. I spoke to other people at the table without any effort to make eye contact. I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessing everyone else was doing the same.

For Their Benefit is a weekly listing of activities sponsored by nonprofit organizations to raise funds for programs that serve San Diegans.

Bunny Jordan, her grandson Alex Callies, and FFB Events Manager Steve Sroka appear on Milwaukee’s FOX 6 WakeUp News to promote the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the upcoming Milwaukee VisionWalk on May 31. Bunny is the Chair for the walk and Alex is the Youth Chair.

BROOMFIELD - Before basketball season started, Coach Tom Krug made one phone call to one player. He called Mandalay Middle School student Rhett Gutierrez. "And I said Rhett are you coming back to play? And if he would have said no, I would not have coached this team, that's how much he means to me," Krug said.

Amid the controlled chaos in the training room at Lloyd Irvin's Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Clinton, where child and adolescent bodies were slung, pinned, pried and bent, 11-year-old Bjorn Brooks' temperament was calm.

At the $300-ticket, cocktail-dress-only benefit "Dinner in the Dark" on Tuesday night in the Beverly Hills Hotel Crystal Ballroom, I shamelessly ate my dinner with my fingers. But I wasn’t worried because no one could see me.

On May 12th attendees will have the chance to better understand the plight of those without site as they enjoy a gala evening in complete darkness.

Fred and Marsha Wolinsky will be honored for their leadership by the Foundation for Fighting Blindness, Los Angeles Chapter on Tue., May 12 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The following ad supporting American Idol finalist, Scott MacIntyre, appeared in The Hollywood Reporter. Scott is affected by LCA.

Foundation Fighting Blindness' "Dining in the Dark" event at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco was a fundraiser for the organization's groundbreaking research in the field of degenerative eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and macular degeneration, which collectively affect over 10 million Americans.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness will host its fourth annual VisionWalk on Sunday, May 3 at Cypress Grove Park, 290 W. Holden Ave. in Orlando. Registration is 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m.

Megan Mauney was 6 when her parents realized there was something wrong.

Brendon Cavainolo has always dreamed of becoming a rocket scientist when he grows up. There's only one problem - a degenerative retinal disorder has left him legally blind.

Host Jessica Bonilla speaks with Jim Schott, Chairperson of the Vision Walk 2009 for the FFB about degenerative diseases causing blindness and resources the FFB offers to help get awareness, and fund research for a cure.

Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB) announced today that it has entered into a new collaboration with sanofi-aventis to develop novel gene-based medicines, utilising the Company’s LentiVector® gene delivery technology, for the treatment of ocular diseases.

Oxford BioMedica, which last year axed 13 staff, has seen its financial problems solved with a new £34m deal. The new collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-aventis will give BioMedica enough cash to last until 2012.

There's one thing fabulously wealthy Stanford University and the cash-strapped state of California have in common: They're both selling bonds to help them through the tough times. In the next two to three weeks, Stanford will be looking to raise hundreds of millions of dollars "to ensure we have adequate liquidity and working capital, should we need it," said Randy Livingston, Stanford's CFO.

Kathy Murray has been going blind for 15 years.

Her diminishing eyesight hasn't kept her from living, and she is hoping to raise money for her team, The Optic Warriors, that will march May 9 during the VisionWalk in New York City.

FULLERTON – Guests attending the Visionary Awards Dinner where Dr. Rebecca Kammer of Fullerton was honored ate their meal in the dark to experience simulated vision loss.

With the spring event season underway, FFB’s urgent mission and committed volunteers have been featured in media nationwide.

Despite the daunting challenges of progressive hearing and vision loss from Usher syndrome, Rebecca Alexander lives life actively, courageously, and thanks to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, with tremendous hope for a cure.

Katelyn Grun is not your typical eighth grade student. At the age of seven, Katelyn was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a disease that has slowly robbed her of her vision. Today, she is legally blind. But, Katelyn and her family have not lost hope.

Elizabeth Fernandez, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, March 9, 2009

(03-08) 17:24 PST -- In a darkened room, Dean Lloyd sits before a computer screen slowly moving his head, searching for a white box on the black screen.

Deaf and blind from Usher syndrome, Steven Frank’s undeniable quest to stay connected with his friends and the community is featured in this inspiring radio story from WYPR’s The Signal (NPR in Baltimore).

February 11, 2009 - Oxford BioMedica, a gene therapy company, has announced that a planned further investment of $250,000 has been made in the company under the collaboration agreement with the Foundation Fighting Blindness through its translational research arm, the National Neurovision Research Institute.

February 2, 2009 - Judy Kahl knows how to create a buzz.

More than 200 people jammed into the Shadow Wood Country Club in Estero last week to join her in a fashion show/fundraiser to benefit Foundation for Fighting Blindness.

January 24, 2009 - Dozens of Dixon Middle School students wearing white masks bumped into each other in the hall, fumbling to adjust to their morning routine through pinhole eye slots.

January 27, 2009 - John Corneille is a man with a mission. Legally blind for many years and still practicing law in DeKalb, he finds the time to give talks on how to cope with failing eyesight and also raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Lynette Herman stares into the middle distance while listening to a conversation, occasionally offering up information, correcting her husband's memory or erupting with a sharp burst of laughter. There is levity in those steel grey eyes, and something else: a malfunction that reaches to the cells lining the back inside wall of the eyes. The mutation of a gene reaching back to at least the turn of the last century.

June 8, 2008 - A MUHC-led study identifies a gene responsible for Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), the most common cause of congenital blindness in infants and small children. The study, partly funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness in Canada (FFB-C), is published in Nature Genetics.

New York - April 28, 2008 — Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance for the experimental technique.

February 6, 2008 - Eating meal in pitch black simulates what it’s like to be blind for more than 300 attendees. Pilot reporter shares her experience.

July 14, 2007 - Morrison founded and now manages the annual fundraiser Comic Vision and has raised more than $810,000 for research into retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration and related retinal diseases since it launched eight years ago.

Columbia, Mo. - February 27, 2007 — Gingersnap, a 4-year-old Abyssinian, rolled lazily on the examining table while Kristina Narfstrom rubbed the cat's cinnamon-colored head.  Then, using a special viewer, Narfstrom peered deep into the 4-year-old's eyes to measure her losing battle with a disorder that is slowly killing her retinas, the thin film at the back of the eyeball that makes sight possible.