Grateful to our Community

As we enter the season of thanksgiving, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the incredible community that surrounds and sustains Society for the Blind. Every day, we see the profound impact of your generosity, and recent weeks have given us so many beautiful reasons to pause and say thank you.

On Oct. 28, more than 200 guests joined us for the 2026 Briggs Award Event. Named for Sacramento’s first ophthalmologist, Dr. William Ellery Briggs, this biennial event honors his legacy by celebrating those who continue to personify his deep commitment to eye care.

This year, we were thrilled to honor Dr. Christian Serdahl, one of the founders of Eye Site Sacramento, with the 2026 Briggs Award. For the past seven years, Dr. Serdahl has hosted an annual Blind Ski Day at Achieve Tahoe for Society’s clients and staff. This vibrant, joyful tradition continues to be a highlight each year for everyone involved.

The Briggs Event also gave us a meaningful platform to spotlight the impactful work of our Low Vision Clinic team. These dedicated professionals walk alongside patients as they adjust to vision loss, teaching them how to master non-visual techniques and use assistive devices with confidence.

Because of the overwhelming generosity of our attendees, sponsors and partners, this year’s event raised more than $95,000 for charity care in our Low Vision Clinic. This funding is a lifeline, enabling our clinic to serve patients who otherwise could not afford these critical services.

The timing of this community support is especially meaningful as we enter November, which is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Diabetic eye disease – a group of eye complications including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and more – is one of the leading causes of vision loss and blindness in the United States. Diabetic retinopathy often strikes individuals during the prime of their working years, leading to sudden job loss and economic strain.

Thanks to your financial support and the dedication our Low Vision Clinic team, we are able to help many individuals successfully return to work, reclaim their independence and rewrite their futures.

We know that none of this is possible without the people who support our mission. To our volunteers who selflessly give their time, energy and talents to assist with our programs: Thank You! To our donors, whose generous financial contributions keep our doors open and our services accessible: Thank You! And to everyone who helps spread the word so that neighbors facing vision loss know they are not alone: Thank You! Every single hour volunteered and every dollar given makes a big difference in someone’s life.

As we approach 2027, we know that external uncertainties and funding challenges persist. Yet we face the future with immense hope. We know our community deeply cares for its neighbors. Together with your steadfast support, we can meet any challenge that comes our way, ensuring that anyone living with low vision or blindness can discover, develop and achieve their full potential.