2009 Happenings
Miami Lighthouse Annual Board Meeting
The Board of Directors of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind
and Visually Impaired, Inc. held its annual meeting at the Key Biscayne
residence of Michael Silva, Esq., on January 27th. Mr. Silva has served in
several Board governance roles for Miami Lighthouse, previously as Board
Performance Oversight and Monitoring Committee Chairman and as Treasurer.
The fifty attendees at the annual meeting included Board
Directors, Honorary Directors, members of the Heiken Children's Vision
Program Advisory Committee, the senior leadership team of Miami
Lighthouse, and Miami Lighthouse friends including the legendary Henry
Stone, a former client and producer of 23 Gold and Platinum albums.
Click here to read more.
Miami Lighthouse Hosts
Miami Ophthalmological Society December Meeting
On December 10, 2009, the Miami Lighthouse hosted a
meeting of the Miami Ophthalmological Society. Attendees were welcomed by
CEO Virginia Jacko and Dr. Henry Trattler, Executive Director of the Miami
Ophthalmological Society, and heard a testimonial from MLB low vision
client Wendell Beard.
Federal and State Legislators Visit
the Miami Lighthouse
U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Visits Miami
Lighthouse
On July 2nd, U.S. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen visited the Miami
Lighthouse for the Blind summer camp where she watched the children
performing their daily chores and participated in their camp activities.
To read U.S. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen press release, please visit
http://ros-lehtinen.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=499. To read an article by U.S. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen featured
in Diario Las Americas, please
click here.
Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation Luncheon
Twenty legislators and their representatives were greeted
by Board Director, State Representative Yolly Roberson, Chairman Owen
Freed, CEO Virginia Jacko and others as they jointly toured the Miami
Lighthouse facility and mobile eye care units. Pictured above: State
Representative Richard Steinberg;
State Representative Julio Robaina, CEO Virginia Jacko, State
Representative Yolly Roberson, State Representative Luis Garcia and State
Representative Ronald Brisé.
2009 White Cane Day Celebration
More than 150 clients and guests gathered at Miami
Lighthouse on October 15th to celebrate National White Cane Day. Attendees
participated in a walk around Little Havana accompanied by City of Miami
Police Commander David Sanchez and fellow officers. Following the walk,
keynote speaker Paul Edwards, Director of Access Services at Miami-Dade
College North Campus, and Dan Howe of the Miami-Dade Office of ADA
Coordination addressed the crowd about the importance of the White Cane
Laws and the rights of blind and visually impaired pedestrians. Special
thanks to event sponsor, AMERIGROUP Community Care, the Coral Way
Colombian Lions Club for providing breakfast, and Burger King & Lions for
the Blind, Inc. for providing lunch.
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Ophthalmologists Visit Miami Lighthouse
Over 40 Ophthalmologists from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
gathered for an informative evening at Miami Lighthouse on August 26th.
Moving testimonials were given by Gert Stein and Furious Berrain, both
former clients and current volunteers at Miami Lighthouse. In addition,
Dr. Sander DuBovy, Miami Lighthouse Board Director and Dr. Craig McKeown,
Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children’s Vision Program Advisory Committee
Member, spoke to guests about their involvement with the Lighthouse.
Following the program, guests received personalized tours of the modern
37,000 square foot facility and our variety of programs. The event was
hosted by Eduardo C. Alfonso, Professor & Chairman of Bascom Palmer Eye
Institute and Virginia A. Jacko, President & CEO of the Lighthouse.
“Touching Our Dreams” STAR Summer Camp
Art Project
On July 29th, parents of children participating in the
Miami Lighthouse STAR Summer Camp were on hand to witness the unveiling of
a very special project entitled “Touching Our Dreams.” With the help of
local artist Carlos Alves, Miami Lighthouse Instructor Nelba Gonzalez, and
many volunteers, students created a mosaic column that was installed in
the sensory garden at the Lighthouse.
When working with ceramics, a child’s imagination is
stimulated allowing the child to recreate figures using primarily their
sense of touch. Using their hands helps children develop fine motor
skills, spatial relation and orientation allowing them to see through the
sense of touch. This project was conceived with goal of having the
children interact and develop social skills while learning to work
together as a team.
Special thanks to Mr. Scott Miller, President, Opa-Locka
Hialeah Flea Market, for his generous donation which helped make this
dream come true.
Miami Lighthouse Transition Summer
Camp Students Visit Coast Guard Air Station Miami
On July 28th, students participating in the Transition Summer Camp visited
Coast Guard Air Station Miami. Students were paired with either a pilot or
crewmember and received a personal tour of a Dolphin helicopter and Falcon
jet in addition to learning about Coast Guard missions. This was the first
time students from Miami Lighthouse have had the opportunity to visit a
military facility. A special thank-you is extended to Board Member David
Turner and Coast Guard Captain Robert Grant for facilitating this
once-in-a-lifetime visit.
MLB Receives One Million Dollar
Matching Gift Challenge, Made in Memory of Sash A. Spencer
Miami Lighthouse is pleased to announce a way for new and
existing donors to double the impact of their charitable giving: the
One Million Dollar Challenge in Memory of Sash A. Spencer. Through
this challenge all new donations or gifts of an increased amount from
existing donors between $100 and $150,000 will be generously matched by
Mary Spencer.
Click here to double your investment in
Miami Lighthouse!
Miami-Dade Public Library System,
Talking Books Service Honored by the Library of Congress
As a key community partner with the Miami-Dade Public
Library System, Talking Books Service, Miami Lighthouse was honored to be
invited to the July 21st County Commission meeting with Mayor Carlos
Alvarez & Library Director Raymond Santiago at which the Talking Book
Service was recognized by the Library of Congress as the 2008 Network
Subregional Library of the Year based upon collaboration with Miami
Lighthouse.
Miami Lighthouse Celebrates Community
Leader Donna R. Blaustein, Esq. As 2009 “Woman Of Vision”
On June 16th, community leader Donna R. Blaustein, Esq.
was named Miami Lighthouse for the Blind’s 2009 Woman of Vision in
recognition of her many years of dedication and support of the Miami
Lighthouse mission. The prestigious award was presented at the third
annual Women of Vision Luncheon at Miami Lighthouse on June 16th. More
than 85 of South Florida’s most distinguished female leaders attended this
luncheon, generously underwritten by Walter and Terri Shikany and
co-hosted by Carmen Betancourt-Lewis, Carmen Bishopric, Shelley Beckwith
Rutherford, Nancy Jean Davis, Pam Garrison, Norma Quintero & Terri Shikany.
The Miami Lighthouse Woman of Vision award was established
in 2007 to honor notable female philanthropists in our community. Past
Woman of Vision honorees include Philanthropist Gloria Martin in 2007 and
Philanthropist Jean Ellen du Pont Shehan in 2008. Awardees are presented a
special one-of-a-kind signature pin designed by René Ruiz.
Deloitte & Touche Volunteers Lend a
Helping Hand at Miami Lighthouse
For the second year, Miami Lighthouse received assistance
with a variety of tasks as volunteers from Deloitte pitched in to help on
Deloitte’s annual “IMPACT” Day – a day to make an impact on the
communities where they work and live.
Second Annual Music Under the Stars…A
Taste of Brickell
MOn April 29th, friends and supporters of the Miami
Lighthouse Heiken Children’s Vision Program gathered at Miami Lighthouse
for the Second Annual “Music Under the Stars…A Taste of Brickell” event.
Guests were treated to delicious samplings from Brickell area restaurants
including Badrutt’s Place, Baja Fresh, Blue Martini, Blu Pizze é Cucina,
Gordon Biersch, Novecento, Perricone’s, Tutto Pasta Ristorante, Vin Brule
and Zucchero. Latin Tenor Warren Tesh and musicians Randolph Margitza,
Antonio Cobo, Jorge Gomez, and Julio Fumero entertained the crowd.
The first “Founders Recognition” Awards were presented to
Leonard Turkel, Stephen Morris, O.D., F.A.A.O., and Sidney Stern, O.D.,
F.A.A.O. for their long-standing contributions and involvement with the
Heiken Children’s Vision Program.
This year’s event was generously sponsored by Morrison
Brown Argiz & Farra, LLP, Brown & Brown Insurance-HBA Division, Mobile
Specialty Vehicles, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally A. Heyman, Sir
Speedy Coral Gables and Essilor of America.
2009 McCrea Family Volunteer
Recognition Luncheon
On April 2nd, The Junior League of Miami was honored as
“Volunteers of the Year” at the 2009 McCrea Family Volunteer Recognition
Luncheon. The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired "Little
Lighthouse,” a popular community project, has benefitted for nearly three
years from the Junior League volunteers’ facilitation of playgroups and
participation in activities meant to further develop the skills of the
children and parents in the Blind Babies Program. League volunteers also
provide social support through weekly sessions with blind and visually
impaired children.
Owen S. Freed, Esq. Elected Chairman
of the Miami Lighthouse Board of Directors
Owen S. Freed, senior counsel at Stearns Weaver Miller
Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson P.A. in Miami, has been elected Chairman of
the Board of Directors of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired, Inc.
Mr. Freed has served as Chairman of the Lighthouse’s
External Relations Committee for two years; during this time Miami
Lighthouse received two of its largest single-donor donations. During that
period the Miami Lighthouse also received, for two consecutive years, a
four-star ranking from Charity Navigator, a national distinction achieved
by only 18 percent of non-profit organizations. Mr. Freed has served on
the Miami Lighthouse Board of directors since 2006 and follows outgoing
Board Chairman William R. Roy, Ph.D. Mr. Freed’s two-year term as Board
Chairman began officially when he was elected unanimously at the general
board meeting December 10 at Northern Trust Bank.
To read more on this story,
click here.
2009 Miami Lighthouse Dog Walk
On March 15th, many dog lovers and friends of Miami
Lighthouse gathered at The Shops at Midtown Miami to take part in the
Second Annual Dog Walk, a walk dedicated to raising awareness for guide
dogs and service animals of all kinds. The Honorary Chairs of this year’s
walk were Dennis C. Moss, Chairman, Miami-Dade Board of County
Commissioners, and Sally A. Heyman, Miami-Dade County Commissioner.
Walkers had the chance to interact with Miami-Dade Fire
Rescue Dogs, Junior League Therapy Dogs, and of course several guide dogs,
including Miami Lighthouse President & CEO Virginia Jacko’s guide dog,
Gibney. Young philanthropists Samantha and Jacob Narson won the award for
most pledges collected, raising more than $1,000 to benefit the free
programs and services provided to clients at Miami Lighthouse for the
Blind.
This year’s walk was generously sponsored by The Shops at
Midtown Miami, Miami-Dade Chairman Dennis C. Moss & Miami-Dade
Commissioner Sally A. Heyman, PetSmart, The Standard Chartered Private
Bank, Turner & Associates, Susan Conroy Design, Jay M. Levy, P.A., Mercury
Express Couriers, Rugsies, MAC Parking and many others.
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