4th Annual San Francisco Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner

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.

Janni Lehrer-Stein, Event Co-Chair, member of the National Council on Disability, and National Trustee of the Foundation; Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., and Gordon Gund.

The ballroom was filled with nearly 400 people, many were dear friends and colleagues of Mayor Brown, helping the Foundation raise $592,000 to further support the critical research toward finding a cure for blindness.

For more than forty years, Mayor Brown has been losing his vision to a blinding disease called retinitis pigmentosa. Like millions of other Americans who suffer from retinal degenerative diseases, the Mayor has coped with the many challenges posed by dealing with progressive incurable vision loss. The breadth of his illustrious career is clear proof that commitment and capability can overcome the many challenges posed by blindness. The Foundation Fighting Blindness is truly honored to celebrate the Mayor for his strength, and the inspirational example he provides to others similarly affected.

The awards ceremony included many notable speakers: Janni Lehrer-Stein, recent appointee of the National Council on Disabilities, Foundation Fighting Blindness Co-Founder and Chairman, Gordon Gund, and Phil Matier of the San Francisco Chronicle.

James Minow, Chief Development Officer of FFB; Janni Lehrer-Stein; Richard Johns, presenter of the Visionary Award; Mayor Brown; Gordon Gund; Warren Thaler, President of Gund Investment Corporation; William Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of FFB