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Baltimore, MD (May 11, 2012) — The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a Columbia, MD-based national nonprofit focused on sight-saving research, will open guests’ eyes to the challenges of the visually impaired community at its Baltimore Dining in the Dark on Thursday, June 14, at the Baltimore Hilton. To recognize their accomplishments and support, the Foundation will present its Visionary Award to former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich and former Ravens all-pro placekicker Matt Stover. Anchor Jamie Costello from ABC2 News will serve as master of ceremonies. The event will benefit the Foundation’s cutting-edge research efforts into preventions, treatments and cures for vision-robbing retinal degenerative diseases like macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, Stargardt disease and related conditions. Dining in the Dark is a distinctive sensory awareness experience in which guests participate in an unforgettable dining adventure, in complete darkness. For about 30 minutes, attendees will enjoy their entrée using only their senses of smell, sound, taste, and touch, to get a glimpse into the lives of the blind. Visually impaired servers, who are trained specifically for the dinner to use a system of ropes and stanchions, will share their stories and help guests navigate through this new culinary journey. Created in Germany, Dining in the Dark is a one-of-a kind concept that has been enjoyed by many people across Europe before moving to America in 2005. “Reactions to Dining in the Dark are truly powerful because people often don’t realize the daily challenges of living with low or no vision,” says Foundation Fighting Blindness CEO Bill Schmidt. “We’re thrilled to recognize the contributions of visionaries Governor Ehrlich and Matt Stover as we come together to support promising research that offers hope to the more than 10 million Americans affected with retinal diseases.” Visionary Award Honoree Governor Ehrlich made history while in office when he created the first cabinet-level Department of Disabilities in the nation. He also sent a clear message about the capability of people with disabilities when he named Maryland Secretary of Disabilities Kristen Cox as his running mate in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Cox is legally blind due to a genetic retinal condition called Stargardt disease, for which there are now promising gene therapy and stem cell clinical trials underway. While governor, Ehrlich achieved milestones that benefit people with disabilities including the expansion of self-directed supports and services; the improved para-transit system; and the establishment of Business Leadership Networks partnering private corporations with employment initiatives to hire people with disabilities. Visionary Award Honoree Matt Stover retired from the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 after winning a Super Bowl with the team in 2000 and gaining respect as one of the most accurate placekickers in NFL history. Now Stover is working to help professional athletes manage their charitable giving through a non-profit organization (Donor Advised Fund) he co-founded called the Players’ Philanthropy Fund. After watching his late mother cope with the retinal disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Stover is motivated to support the fight against blindness. Co-chairing the Baltimore Visionary Awards Dinner are author and teacher Lu Ann Blackman; her husband Jay Blackman, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Howard County General Hospital and former Wilmer Eye Institute administrator; and Richard Story, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Columbia, MD-based JPB Partners. Morton F. Goldberg, M.D., National Neurovision Research Institute chairman of the board, and Wilmer Eye Institute former director, will serve as the event’s honorary chair.
Individual tickets are available for $350 each and sponsorship packages begin at $5,000. For ticket and sponsorship information, contact Nicole Ossola at 443-875-3886 or
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. To request media credentials or coordinate an interview with an event spokesperson, contact Allie Gebhardt at 410-423-0643 or
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