When People Know, They Want to Help

Though several members of Peter Borchardt’s family across five generations have lost vision to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the disease wasn’t something they openly discussed. “Growing up, my dad didn’t talk about RP much. His father was quiet about it, as well,” says Peter. “They just didn’t want other people to know.”

In the mid-1980s, before his vision loss was debilitating, Peter wanted to know more about the condition that had such a profound impact on his family. He reached out to the Foundation Fighting Blindness to learn more about the condition and the research underway for treatments and cures, and subscribed to the Foundation’s newsletter to stay abreast of the scientific progress.

Peter with his father, Ken

Over the next two decades, RP took its toll on Peter’s eyesight. He had to give up his career in banking and stopped driving. “In the early 1990s, I was told by the doctors that my vision could go very quickly,” recalls Peter. “At that time, my kids were in kindergarten. I stayed in banking as long as I could, but I just couldn’t see well enough to do my job effectively. Back then, they didn’t have good low vision resources for computers.”

Peter was also disheartened to learn that the older of his two sons, Adam, had inherited RP. His younger son, Bryan, is unaffected.

In 2008, after raising his two boys at home while his wife, Laure, worked as a graphic designer, Peter says that he “heard his calling” when he learned about the inaugural Milwaukee VisionWalk in 2009. “I knew I could raise money,” he says. “And I felt I had to do something, especially now that one of my kids had the disease. We have to find a cure. I feel fortunate. I have had vision most of my life. I’ve seen the world. But all the young kids who are born blind — they haven’t.”

Peter also joined the Milwaukee VisionWalk Organizing Committee to help drive fundraising and the overall success and visibility of the event, which surpassed its revenue goals in 2009 and 2010.

Over the past two years, Peter’s walk team has raised nearly $20,000. “My contacts — my friends and business associates — have been incredibly generous,” he says. “I have been so humbled by the amount of money they’ve sent in. People get hit up for money every day. It is the most incredibly warm feeling when they make a gift to you.”

Peter has been especially impressed by friends and family who have done their own outstanding fundraising for Peter’s VisionWalk team. His brother, David, brought in some big gifts through his contacts in banking. The choir director of Peter’s church, Kim Steffen, raised significant money at a class reunion. And the drummer in Peter’s band, Timothy Tym, also did a great job in fundraising. “All the people who gave Timothy money didn’t know me. That stunned me. He wrote a cool letter about me to help fundraise. It was just so fantastic to have him jump on board,” says Peter. “I was also delighted to have our band, Rumor, play at the 2009 and 2010 VisionWalks. We have been together for more than 30 years, and their support means a lot to me.”

Peter and his VisionWalk cadre are already looking forward to the 2011 Milwaukee VisionWalk in May, and they hope to raise even more money than in prior years. Peter says his enthusiasm for raising money started with that first step in letting people know about his vision loss and the Foundation’s critical mission. “I grew up thinking you have to hide this disease, you couldn’t let people know. But why? What do you gain by doing that? I think you want people to know. People in their hearts want to help. If they don’t know, how can they help?”