Society for the Blind

Phone: (916) 452-8271

Fax: (916) 452-2622

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Tracy Davis
Society for the Blind
916.452.8271 x324
tdavis@societyfortheblind.org

ANNUAL AUTUMN REGATTA TO RAISE FUNDS FOR SACRAMENTO’S SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND

Tickets for the Event are Available Now

(Sacramento, CA), August 30, 2005 – The Society for the Blind and the Sacramento Yacht Club announced their Annual Autumn Regatta will take place on Saturday, September 24^th. The second annual event seeks to raise funds and generate support and awareness of the Society for the Blind’s programs assisting Sacramento’s low vision and blind community.

Hosted by members of the Sacramento Yacht Club, the Regatta begins with private yacht cruises along the Sacramento River. Following the river tours, guests will enjoy a tropical-themed dinner and entertainment back ashore at the Yacht Club. Guests will also have the opportunity to support Society for the Blind by participating in a silent auction, including a Gold Rush Getaway 5 day cruise to Mexico, vacation accommodations in Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, wine tasting at Michael David Vineyards, theater and opera tickets, and gift certificates for popular Sacramento area restaurants.

Tickets for the event are $125 per person. Regatta Sponsorships, available to families, groups or businesses, include admission for ten people, an exclusive thank you gift, and special recognition, for $1500. Please call (916) 452-8271 x324 to purchase tickets or sponsorships.

The Society for the Blind provides individuals who are blind or have low vision with valuable training that helps them through all stages of life. For seniors, the Society offers both in-home visits and intensive retreats designed to minimize the disruption caused by blindness. Seniors learn to use orientation and mobility and daily living skills to live functionally and independently. For adults, the Society offers core instructional courses on cane travel, Braille, independent living and adaptive computer technology. Additionally, working-age adults can participate in the Career Development Program, which includes everything from vocational assessment to resume building and interview techniques.

Society for the Blind’s youth program seeks to provide a supportive context for youth to build blindness-related skills to prepare for higher education and successful employment. At a yearly camp retreat, young people who are blind or experiencing vision loss visit Camp Cromberg, near Quincy, California, where they participate in a variety of activities designed to increase their ability to live independently and participate socially and academically at the same level as their peers.

About the Society for the Blind

The Society for the Blind is a California non-profit organization established in 1954 to provide essential and innovative services for blind and visually impaired people of all ages. Each year, over 3,600 individuals receive services at the Society. Of these, nearly 500 individuals receive intensive, individualized instruction. Both experience and research have shown that the visually impaired who are most likely to achieve success, are those who have benefited from mentorship by successful role models who are also blind. As such, the majority of the teaching staff at Society for the Blind is visually impaired. They serve as role models who have overcome limited vision to achieve a life of independence and productivity.