Dining in the Dark… Blindfold Included!

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Chautauqua Blind Association

The Chautauqua Blind Association presents their 7th annual fundraising and awareness event on Friday April 21st at The Chautauqua Suites in Mayville New York. Dining in the Dark is a unique experience of eating without seeing. Starting at 6:00 p.m., guests are invited to socialize, enjoy cocktails and bid on silent auction items. Dinner seating will begin at 6:30 p.m. where each guest will be blindfolded prior to being led by a guide to their table to enjoy a 4 course meal without the use of their sight.

During the event, one community member who has greatly supported the Chautauqua Blind Association’s mission of “enabling visually impaired people to be active members of their community and to provide education and services to prevent vision loss” will be honored with the inaugural “Louise Tefft Award”. “Louise was a client of ours who we served for 28 years. She was a great supporter of CBA and attributes all of the services she received from CBA to the fact that she was able to remain alone, in her own home for her entire life,” says Lisa Goodell, Executive Director. “To honor her memory, we have created the Louise Tefft Award to celebrate an individual who supports our mission.”

Please join us for a one of a kind sensory adventure offering you the opportunity to have a dining experience without the use of your sight! Reservations are $60 per person and include a 4 course meal and…a blindfold! Dinner options are a Tuscan beef filet, orange chicken and stuffed pepper (vegetarian/gluten free). Reservations are appreciated by Friday April 14th and can be made online at Chautauquablind.org. or by calling 716-664-6660.

Donations for the silent auction are appreciated and can be dropped off up until the day of the event at The Chautauqua Blind Association located at 510 W. 5th Street, Jamestown NY. A special thank you to the 2017 event sponsors which include The Resource Center, Weber Knapp, Chautauqua Chemicals Co., Inc., Rhoe Henderson, Artone LLC, Spectrum Eyecare, Lakewood Rod and Gun, Ahlstrom Schaefer Electric Corp., Jamestown Container, Northwest Bank and The Chautauqua Cattaraugus Library System. Event Supporters include UPMC Chautauqua WCA and Lind Funeral Home, Inc.

All event proceeds will support the Youth Vision Screening Program. In 2016, the Chautauqua Blind Association screened 2,975 children under the age of 6. Over 400 of these children were determined to have undiagnosed vision problems. These children are then referred to area eye care professionals for further evaluations and/or treatment. The Chautauqua Blind Association’s goal is to provide this program free of charge to area children. The funds raised at Dining in the Dark make sure that any child in Chautauqua County has access to this service.

If you are unable to attend but would like to support the mission of the Chautauqua Blind Association, a tax-deductible donation can be made online at Chautauquablind.org or by sending a check to the Chautauqua Blind Association located at 510 W. 5th Street, Jamestown NY.

For over 96 years, the Chautauqua Blind Association has been providing Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties with Vision Rehabilitation Services, and Orientation and Mobility instruction to blind and legally blind residents. These services include low vision rehabilitation, pre-school vision screenings, advocacy and education. Detecting vision changes early and effectively is crucial in providing necessary treatment and rehabilitation in order for a visually impaired person to live more efficiently and independently. The Chautauqua Blind Association has been a local resource for the visually impaired, regardless of financial ability. Chautauqua Blind Association is a United Way Partner.

For more information about the Chautauqua Blind Association or to learn more about upcoming events, visit Chautauquablind.org or call 716-664-6660. The Chautauqua Blind Association is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization.