Spring greetings to you!
It was a great pleasure to chair this year’s Redefining Vision Luncheon. A huge vote of thanks goes to each of you who attended and supported Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation through this event. You made it a wonderful day. 
I was honored to play a part in the presentation and grateful for the opportunity to share with luncheon guests the story of my daughter, Richelle, who has benefitted so greatly from the Lighthouse’s Supported Employment Program (SEP). Contributions from friends like you have truly enriched her life, and mine, by keeping this program vibrant and responsive.
It was inspiring for all of us to hear from Jodie O’Flaherty, the SEP Manager, and from SEP employee, Eric Swanson. Eric’s decades of employment and his exciting retirement plans for this October brought smiles to our faces.
SEP is a wonderful example of the Lighthouse mission. SEP empowers adults who are blind or Deaf-Blind and have a developmental disability. Charitable gifts from our Redefining Vision donors make a huge difference in the lives of individuals by helping them become more independent through critical coaching, individual training, and other support services.
Our guest speaker, Brett Lewis, shared his athletic and professional accomplishments as a Judo medalist and software engineer, despite losing his vision in childhood. His story demonstrated the power of persistence in pursuing ambitious goals.
On behalf of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation, I thank and congratulate the community for the $77,000 raised in support of SEP at the luncheon. We look forward to having you all back for our 2014 event.
Barbara Ross
Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation Board Member &
2013 Redefining Vision Luncheon Chair
