Spotlight News

President: Debbie Conrad                                              Editor: Bob Sweeney

Executive Director: Doug Fowler                                         Reader:  Hank Elgersman
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President’s Message

As we move quickly toward the Holiday Season, we should all be mindful of what this time of year brings to all of us and the importance of Family and Friends. As some of you may or not remember last year we participated in a local canned food drive to help those in our community struggling to make ends meet. We would like to do so again this year. With times being so hard for so many folks it would be greatly appreciated if, when you come to the center, you would bring a canned good or two and drop it in the designated container in the Price Room. We will do this for the next two upcoming holidays.

Santa’s Helpers tell me that they are busy gathering and preparing items for Santa’s Workshop. We still need volunteers to help out and if you or anyone you know would like to donate any new giftable items we would greatly appreciate it.

The presses are hot printing VIP Calendars! It is my hope to have them for sale at the Thanksgiving event on November 10^th. Call the Center and place your orders now so that you are not to miss out. Speaking of November 10^th! Make your reservations early as seating is limited and Gerry also needs to know how many meals to plan for. Same for December 8^th, which is our Christmas Holiday Dinner. Make your reservations early!
Grab a friend and join us again this year for Simon’s Evening of Giving on Sunday November 19^th. Tickets are $10.00, $7.00 of that will go directly to the VIP Center. Last year those who attended had a great time. So get your shopping shoes on and support the VIP Center at the same time.

I had the pleasure of attending the Vision Awareness Walk-A-Thon at Lakes Park on October 13^th. There was a great crowd. There was live music by Lou Tuscano. The weather was gorgeous and perfect for walking. I am looking forward to next year’s event.

As most of you are aware, the past few months have proven to be a very challenging yet exciting time for the VIP. There is a lot going on. Our new Director, Doug, is taking us onward and upward into our community and getting us reacquainted with our community leaders. Thanks to Doug, our Staff, Board and its committees are more involved than ever in getting the word out into the community about all of the programs and services we provide at the Center. Each of us is attending meetings about leadership, teamwork and what it means to be a representative of The Visually Impaired Persons Center. Since November is about giving thanks, I am sure I speak for the entire Board when I say “Thanks Doug for all you’re doing.”
 Deborah Conrad, President VIP Board of Directors

From The Executive Director’s Office: 

Happy Holidays! The holidays are upon us. It is a time of growing and giving for those who care about people. The VIP Center is moving towards many good things. We are growing and giving. 

Growing 

Residents of Bonita Springs have been in contact with me about expanding our services into Bonita Springs. In November, we will launch our Low Vision Services on the Campus of the Bonita Springs Lions Club. This partnership will enhance their vision clinic. We look forward to be able to offer our complete package of services in Bonita very soon.

Residents of Collier County have also been in contact with me about opening a service center that is convenient to residents across the entire County. I am building a partnership with people in Collier County who have the vision of serving people with visual impairment. 

The VIP Center has been through some difficult years recently. Those days are over! The VIP Center is in a new era. There is excitement in the air and changes going on within the VIP Staff. The focus is on providing top quality services to all ages and all cultures of people dealing with visual impairment in Lee and Collier Counties. 

Giving 

The Board, the Staff, and the Membership at the VIP Center have committed to United Way giving! We are now considered a Pacesetter Agency of United Way because we started our campaign early and nearly everyone has given. Frankly, the United Way of Lee, Hendry, & Glades Counties gives us more money than the Staff, the Board, and Membership contribute. 

The Staff has decided to adopt a family in the area that recently lost their home. They have a child who is visually impaired. We will be partnering with the Florida Division of Blind Services and United Way to coordinate this act of giving. 

A food drive has begun at the VIP Center. The Membership is collecting food that will be given to the Nations Association to service the homeless in Lee County. 

And now, for a very special challenge to each of us. There is a 44 year old single man, who has no family, needing a kidney and pancreas transplant. He is visually impaired. He faithfully attends our membership events and receives training on developing his computer skills to be able to re-enter the working world. As such, we are his ‘family.’ 

During a recent visit to his home by staff member Judy Boylan to provide training on his computer, she learned that Michael had made all the arrangements for the dual organ transplant except a guarantor to provide transportation to his pre and post transplant doctor appointments in Tampa. Transportation must be guaranteed, in writing, with the transplant service or they will not perform the transplant. 

Quickly, I contacted Gary Bryant, CEO of GoodWheels Transportation Services. He agreed to provide this service, at their costs, for Michael as a partnership with the VIP Center. Within one day, the staff raised $500! We need to raise $3,000 to assure that the transportation for the many doctor visits is paid for. 

So, the challenge to give to save a life is here. I am inviting you to give to this cause. VIP Center will collect the funds and pay GoodWheels on Michael’s behalf. In the event we collect more than $3,000, the balance will be used for life sustaining needs during his recovery time.  

Happy Holidays. 

Douglas Fowler, Executive Director

Transition Students Participate in

FGCU 7^th Annual Adaptive Sports Expo 

Transition students participated in the 7^th Annual Adaptive Sports Expo on October 6, 2007. This event provided the students a chance to participate in sports that included wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair rugby, water skiing, sailing, kayaking, cheerleading, rock wall climbing, and challenger baseball. It was like a mini-Olympics event for persons with disabilities. The students really enjoyed socializing and meeting new people. I think they had the most fun in the water. All the students got the chance to water ski which was made possible by U CAN SKI 2 (water skiing for people with disabilities). 

The greatest thing was watching the VIP students experience a pleasure in life that they were told they would never be able to do. Seeing Moms and Dads of students overwhelmed with emotions as their child skied off into the open water of a lake was truly a special moment. There many connections were made at this event that will involve the students participating in other recreation and leisure activities.

The experience at FGCU was phenomenal! The atmosphere was very cheerful and exciting. I was just so overwhelmed with joy to see people, young and old, come together for this event. This was a positive reinforcement for the students to see people of all ages getting together to have fun. We already have plans of attending this event next year. I would like to give special thanks to Doug Fowler for driving the bus to FGCU and being an active part of the day. Also thanks to Crystle Barrs for her assistance and being a positive role-model for the students. Through committed team work this new program will be a success! 

Latricia Whipple, BS, MA

Transition Services Program Coordinator

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 Daylight Savings Time ends

at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 4^th

Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed or you’ll be an hour early for church!

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GO SHOPPING!

SIMON EVENING OF GIVING^®! 

*A $10.00 TICKET GETS YOU IN ON THE FUN!!! 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18^TH (6 PM TO 9 PM)  

Mark your calendar for Edison Mall’s 6^th Annual Evening of Giving®, a great kickoff for the holiday season. Retailers offer the best values of the season to guests during this exclusive after-hours shopping event. This is your chance to give back to your community. Tickets are available from Freddie Conner or Ginny Belcher at the VIP Center (phone 997-7797). Come kick off the season of warm wishes and make a difference! 

●SPECIAL OFFERS FOR ONE EVENING ONLY – Most stores will be open and will offer special offers and discounts for this evening only. Some of the participating stores are: 

Aeropostale ●●● Aldo ●●● American Eagle ●●●Anchor Blue ●●●Ann Taylor ●●●Champs●●●Claire’s ●●●Dell ●●●Foot Locker ●●●FYEGordon’s Jewelers ●●●Hot Topic ●●●Journeys ●●●Orange Julius●●●Perfumania●●●The Disney Store ●●●Waldenbooks●●●and many more 

ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE MALL
 *70% OF OUR TICKET SALES
WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT
VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS OF SW FLORIDA
the other 30% will benefit
The Simon Youth Foundation
a not-for-profit organization that fosters educational
and career development for at-risk youth


4^th Annual Vision Awareness Walkathon
by Lois Kilgore 

On Saturday, October 13, 2007 a group of people, blind and sighted, participated in the 4^th Annual Vision Awareness Walk. This local event is held each year to promote understanding and acceptance of the visually impaired of Lee County, held in October as part of National Vision Awareness Month. 

On this beautiful, balmy October day, 155 participants met at Lakes Park. The youngest participant in a stroller, the oldest, a 97 year old blind man who walked the 2-mile course! Some people were in wheel chairs and some could not walk but came to support the cause and to cheer the others on. 

This year’s theme was “Pedestrian Safety” and reminding the public about the White Cane Law. Leading the walkers were Grand Marshall, Major Ellegood, from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and Joyce Thornton, President and Founder of the Vision Awareness Walk along with her guide dog, Amy. 

Back at the pavilion, Lou & Gemma Toscano set up their sound system and Lou sang a wide variety of songs from ‘oldies’, to ballads, to modern classics. Glenn Sabatka, from WGCU Radio Reading Service, was Master of Ceremonies. Doug Fowler, Director of the VIP Center manned the popcorn machine and gave out popcorn, courtesy of the Center. Marge & Ron Pennell, Blinded Veteran’s Association, did free blood pressure testing. Diane Clifton, FMB Lions Club did free diabetic testing. Culligan Water supplied free water and a generous amount of door prizes were contributed by local businesses.  

Many of the walkers have been touched in some way by agencies listed below and wanted to show their support. We even had a team from Canada walk up there for us. They raised over $600 (talk about friendly relations).Thanks! 

Proceeds from this event will be evenly dispersed to these Lee County organizations:

Angel Flights                                                                   Blinded Veterans Association

Braille Institute: Winning Kids Club               Cape Coral Lions Club

Florida Council of the Blind SW Chapter                    Fort Myers Beach Lions Club

Guide Dog Foundation                                                Southeastern Guide Dogs

Radio Reading Service                                                Visually Impaired Persons of SW Florida 

Most of the agencies have representatives on the committee to help but there are two groups that do it simply because they feel it is the “right thing.” Our special thanks to Evan & Laura Connell, from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, and Christine Sheehan, from the Division of Blind Services. 

The event ended with a luncheon at Carrabba’s Italian Grill on Cleveland Avenue where $450.00 was won in the 50/50 drawing. 

Those who attended had a wonderful time: all saying “See you Next Year.” Each year this event has grown. Starting four years ago with only about seventy walkers to Saturday’s one hundred fifty-five. If you missed it, there’s always next year. Plan on joining us for a day of fun and frolic to benefit a great cause.