If you participated in the Rock ‘N Race – or even if you didn’t – and you’re still looking to scratch that walk/run itch, you should check out Future in Sight’s 14th annual Walk for Sight this Saturday.
In case you didn’t know, Future in Sight used to be known as the New Hampshire Association for the Blind. The group changed its name March 1 to better reflect the range of services the organization offers and the variety of people it serves – it’s not just for people who are completely blind, but for anyone with visual impairment.
The Walk for Sight, a 3K leisurely walk, is the organization’s signature event and largest fundraiser. Last year, a few hundred participants helped raise $85,000, and CEO David Morgan said he expects this year’s event to be the biggest one to date – he’s expecting about 500 participants, with a goal of raising $100,000, which will go toward this year’s operating budget – which in turn helps serve about 2,200 people. That’s quite an improvement over the original event 14 years ago.
“When it started, it started as a small social club for our clients,” Morgan said. “That first event, 14 years ago, I think we raised about $10,000 in that event. Over the last eight years, we’ve raised half a million dollars.”
Not bad.
Given the fun and positive nature of the Walk for Sight, it’s easy to see how and why it has grown. Plus, the name-change has already had a positive impact on the organization – Morgan said there’s been a healthy uptick in clients and referrals since adopting the new name, and the hope is that also translates to more participants at this Saturday’s walk.
The day will feature, obviously, the walk, which starts at Future in Sight (25 Walker St., fittingly), as well as food, music, activities for kids, raffles, gift baskets up for bid and more.
There will also be a Walk In My Shoes promotion, in which people will get to put on either a blindfold or a facsimile of an eye condition and experience what it’s like to walk with a visual impairment. You’ll be able to remove these devices at any time.
All in all, it should be a fun – and relatively quick – day for the whole family.
Registration, which can be done at futureinsight.org, is $5 for kids under 12 and $20 for adults. You can register as an individual or as part of a team.
Walker check-in (or registration, if you don’t do it in advance online) will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a welcoming presentation from 10:30 to 10:45. The walk begins at 11, followed by lunch at 11:45. And from 12:45 to 1 p.m., awards will be given out and raffle prizes will be drawn.
For more, go to futureinsight.org or call 224-4039.
