[nfbwatlk] Fw: National Federation of the Blind to Hold 2008 Celebration

Mon Mar 24 21:23:18 CDT 2008

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Freeh, Jessica
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 11:27 AM
Subject: National Federation of the Blind to Hold 2008 Celebration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen                                                 Beth 
Mullennex
Public Relations Specialist                              Barb Clapp 
Advertising & Marketing, LLC
National Federation of the Blind                      (410) 561-8886
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2330 
beth at barbclapp.com
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind to Hold 2008 Celebration

Celebrating Thirty Years of Building a Brighter Future in Baltimore and 
Beyond

Baltimore, Maryland (March 24, 2008): The National Federation of the 
Blind (NFB) will host its annual celebration of the history, growth, and 
achievements of the NFB in Maryland and nationwide.  This year marks the 
thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the NFB's headquarters in 
Baltimore.  The 2008 Celebration will take place on Friday, April 4, at 
the NFB Jernigan Institute in Federal Hill.  More than five hundred 
friends, colleagues, and blind people from across the nation are 
expected to attend.  The event promises an evening of food, fun, and 
entertainment.  Close to twenty Baltimore area restaurants, including 
Bonefish Grill, La Scala, Matsuri, Rub Authentic Texas BBQ, and more, 
are set to cater the event, while a Beatles tribute band will provide 
music and entertainment.

Beginning at 6 p.m., attendees will be able to enjoy food from some of 
Baltimore's finest restaurants, along with the opportunity to bid on 
silent auction packages.  A live auction (including Beatles memorabilia) 
and brief program will begin at 7:45 p.m.  Gerry Sandusky, sports 
director of WBAL Channel 11 in Baltimore and the voice of the Ravens, 
will be the master of ceremonies.  A citation from Baltimore Mayor 
Sheila Dixon recognizing the National Federation of the Blind for its 
thirty years in Baltimore will be read, and Congressman John P. Sarbanes 
will briefly address the gathering.   The program will be followed by 
entertainment from Beatlemagic.the ultimate beatles experience.  This 
nationally acclaimed Beatles tribute act will provide an entertaining 
program spanning the career of the legendary Beatles, complete with 
costume changes.

The event is sponsored by nearly forty companies, including Deque 
Systems, IBM, M&T Bank, Microsoft, and Smith Barney.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, 
said: "The National Federation of the Blind is pleased and proud once 
again to welcome the Baltimore community to our Jernigan Institute 
facility for what is sure to be a truly memorable evening.  Although 
each Celebration is special, this event is particularly exciting because 
it commemorates our thirtieth year in Baltimore.  In 1978, we purchased 
a dilapidated factory building and turned it into the most modern 
facility providing resources and services to the blind anywhere in the 
world.  We expanded upon this achievement in 2004 with the opening of 
our beautiful Jernigan Institute.  Our facilities draw thousands of 
visitors each year to Baltimore.  We are delighted with our location in 
this great city and we look forward to continuing to serve our community 
and the nation throughout the twenty-first century."

The NFB Jernigan Institute is truly one of a kind.  It is the first 
research and training center in the United States for the blind, led by 
the blind.  The goal is to better understand the challenges encountered 
by those who are blind or have low vision, and to develop technologies, 
products, services, and educational programs to foster independence.

The NFB Jernigan Institute welcomes over four thousand people every year 
to innovative training programs for those who are blind or have low 
vision and their families, as well as for those who work in the 
blindness field.  The institute is particularly focused on traditionally 
underserved groups of blind people, such as children and the elderly. 
In addition, researchers continually test existing technologies for the 
blind and develop new ones.  Recently, the NFB launched the knfbREADER 
Mobile, a cell phone application that allows a document photographed 
with the phone's camera to be read aloud to a blind user.

The NFB was founded in 1940 by a convention of sixteen participants from 
seven states.  Today, there are affiliates in each state, the District 
of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; seven hundred local chapters; and fifty 
thousand members nationwide.

For more information about the 2008 Celebration, please contact Jerry 
Lazarus at (410) 659-9314, extension 2297, or by e-mail at 
jlazarus at nfb.org.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.nfb.org or 
through Liz Makowske at (410) 659-9314, extension 2419 
(emakowske at nfb.org).  For more information about the NFB or the Jernigan 
Institute, visit www.nfb.org.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is 
the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people 
in the United States.   The NFB improves blind people's lives through 
advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging 
independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the 
blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind.  In January 
2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan 
Institute, the first research and training center in the United States 
for the blind led by the blind.

-------------- next part --------------
----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:JFreeh at nfb.org Freeh, Jessica
Sent:
Monday, March 24, 2008 11:27 AM
Subject:
National Federation of the Blind to Hold 2008 Celebration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen     

Beth Mullennex  
Public Relations Specialist    

Barb Clapp Advertising & Marketing, LLC
National Federation of the Blind   

(410) 561-8886  
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2330   

mailto:beth at barbclapp.com
beth at barbclapp.com
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org
cdanielsen at nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind to Hold 2008 Celebration

Celebrating Thirty Years of Building a Brighter Future in Baltimore and Beyond

Baltimore, Maryland (March 24, 2008): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) will host its annual celebration of the history, growth, and achievements of the NFB in Maryland and nationwide.  This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the NFB’s headquarters in Baltimore.  The 2008 Celebration will take place on Friday, April 4, at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Federal Hill.  More than five hundred friends, colleagues, and blind people from across the nation are expected to attend.  The event promises an evening of food, fun, and entertainment.  Close to twenty Baltimore area restaurants, including Bonefish Grill, La Scala, Matsuri, Rub Authentic Texas BBQ, and more, are set to cater the event, while a Beatles tribute band will provide music and entertainment.

Beginning at 6 p.m., attendees will be able to enjoy food from some of Baltimore’s finest restaurants, along with the opportunity to bid on silent auction packages.  A live auction (including Beatles memorabilia) and brief program will begin at 7:45 p.m.  Gerry Sandusky, sports director of WBAL Channel 11 in Baltimore and the voice of the Ravens, will be the master of ceremonies.  A citation from Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon recognizing the National Federation of the Blind for its thirty years in Baltimore will be read, and Congressman John P. Sarbanes will briefly address the gathering.   The program will be followed by entertainment from Beatlemagic
the ultimate beatles experience.  This nationally acclaimed Beatles tribute act will provide an entertaining program spanning the career of the legendary Beatles, complete with costume changes.
The event is sponsored by nearly forty companies, including Deque Systems, IBM, M&T Bank, Microsoft, and Smith Barney. 

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind is pleased and proud once again to welcome the Baltimore community to our Jernigan Institute facility for what is sure to be a truly memorable evening.  Although each Celebration is special, this event is particularly exciting because it commemorates our thirtieth year in Baltimore.  In 1978, we purchased a dilapidated factory building and turned it into the most modern facility providing resources and services to the blind anywhere in the world.  We expanded upon this achievement in 2004 with the opening of our beautiful Jernigan Institute.  Our facilities draw thousands of visitors each year to Baltimore.  We are delighted with our location in this great city and we look forward to continuing to serve our community and the nation throughout the twenty-first century.”

The NFB Jernigan Institute is truly one of a kind.  It is the first research and training center in the United States for the blind, led by the blind.  The goal is to better understand the challenges encountered by those who are blind or have low vision, and to develop technologies, products, services, and educational programs to foster independence.

The NFB Jernigan Institute welcomes over four thousand people every year to innovative training programs for those who are blind or have low vision and their families, as well as for those who work in the blindness field.  The institute is particularly focused on traditionally underserved groups of blind people, such as children and the elderly.  In addition, researchers continually test existing technologies for the blind and develop new ones.  Recently, the NFB launched the knfbREADER Mobile, a cell phone application that allows a document photographed with the phone’s camera to be read aloud to a blind user.

The NFB was founded in 1940 by a convention of sixteen participants from seven states.  Today, there are affiliates in each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; seven hundred local chapters; and fifty thousand members nationwide. 

For more information about the 2008 Celebration, please contact Jerry Lazarus at (410) 659-9314, extension 2297, or by e-mail at
mailto:jlazarus at nfb.org
jlazarus at nfb.org
.  Tickets may be purchased online at
http://www.nfb.org
www.nfb.org
or through Liz Makowske at (410) 659-9314, extension 2419 (
mailto:emakowske at nfb.org
emakowske at nfb.org
).  For more information about the NFB or the Jernigan Institute, visit
http://www.nfb.org
www.nfb.org
.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States.   The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.