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Tampa, FL – Inaugural Tampa Bay VisionWalk

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.

Co-Chairs Melissa Escobio and April Lufriu (Mrs. Florida Scholarship) were excited to see the outpouring of support from the Tampa Bay Community. We were also thrilled to have our Honorary Chair, Enrique O’liu interviewed live by ABC Action News, one of the two TV Crews we had out there filling the wonderful event. Of course our wonderful Business Chair, Amy Hartman and PR Chair, Christina Majeed were both helping to get the crowds geared up and ready to walk.

Amidst all of the fun and excitement, the true focus of the event was as prevalent as ever. Everyone attending VisionWalk was trying to do their part to help raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness for retinal degenerative research.

As always, it is so inspiring to see all the hard work and dedication all the teams put into the Walk to help raise thousands of dollars, and this Walk was no exception. Team Moore Vision proved they have what it takes to come out on top, raising money through their team and bringing in sponsorships totaling over $6,387! The Kyle Bailey Foundation was in a close second as a virtual team with $5,600. Then it was close race between Hartman Team and Team Joshua battling it out for third place, each with over $3,875 and $3,835 respectively, and they’re not done yet.

We also want to thank our lead sponsor, SIRiON Therapeutics for their tremendous support! SIRiON had 22 walkers and raised over $1,075 for the Walk. In addition they went the extra mile and set up a booth with fabulous giveaways for all walker including reusable water bottles and coffee and baked goods from Starbucks. Way to go SIRiON! Last but not least our largest team, Veronica’s Visioneers was proudly showing off their team spirit throughout the team of 27 walkers. They definitely take the Team Spirit prize with their fabulous team banner and lanyards for all team members.

This event could not have been such a glowing success without the support of so many. We send our deepest thanks to our Volunteers, Sponsors, Team Captains, Walkers, Chapter President, Mary Lou Johnson, and of course our fabulous Walk committee; Walk Co-Chairs Melissa Escobio & April Lufriu, Business Chairs Amy & Bill Hartman, PR Chair Christina Majeed and our Honorary Chair, Enrique O’liu.

The 2nd Annual Tampa Bay VisionWalk is tentatively set for October 2009 once again at al Lopez Park. An announcement will be made when the date is confirmed and when the new 2009 website is ready for registration.

Tampa, FL – Inaugural Tampa Bay VisionWalk

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