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Come join the National Federation of the Blind for a historic gathering
to celebrate the next generation of blind innovators!<br><br>
On Friday, July 31, the blind students and their mentors from the 2009
NFB Youth Slam will gather in our nation’s capitol for an inspirational
rally at the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool followed by the NFB
Youth March for Independence on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
After the march, blind students, blind mentors, and friends will gather
for a celebratory program of the past week’s achievements in the United
States Capitol Visitor Center. Members of congress will be in
attendance, and speakers will include Dr. Marc Maurer (President of the
NFB), NFB Youth Slam students, members of the United States Congress, and
officials from NASA including one of the astronauts from the STS 125
shuttle mission--the same mission that carried two Louis Braille
Bicentennial Silver Dollars to space.<br><br>
<br><br>
We encourage Federationists and friends to come be part of these historic
eventsyou will not want to miss it!<br><br>
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Schedule of Events:<br><br>
The rally at the Lincoln Memorial will kick off at 2:45 p.m. just in
front of the reflecting pool and at the foot of the steps where so many
other revolutionary historic gatherings have taken place.<br><br>
<br><br>
The NFB Youth March is expected to leave the rally site at the Lincoln
Memorial at approximately 3:20 p.m. proceeding down the National Mall to
the National Air and Space Museum. Please note that the distance
from the memorial to the museum is approximately 1.5 miles.<br><br>
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The closing ceremonies at the Capitol Visitors Center will begin at 5:30
pm. (doors open) with the program beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the
Congressional Auditorium.<br><br>
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The Capitol Visitor Center is closed to the public, so please let
security know that you are attending the NFB event. We encourage
you to get there early as there is a security screening before the
entrance to the Capitol Visitor Center; the link to items that are not
permitted is
<a href="http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/Visit/Visitor%20Safety%20and%20Policies/">
http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/Visit/Visitor%20Safety%20and%20Policies/</a>
. <br><br>
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The Capitol Visitors Center entrance is on the East side of the Capitol
near the intersection of First and Maryland streets.<br><br>
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If you are coming to the concluding ceremony only, the easiest way to get
there is by metro. The three closest stops are:
<ul>
<li>Union Station – Located at First Street, NW, and Massachusetts Avenue
<li>Capitol South – Located at First Street between C and D Streets, SE
<li>Federal Center, SW – Located at the Southwest corner of Third and D
streets, SW
</ul><br>
For more information about the metro, visit
<a href="http://www.wmata.com/">http://www.wmata.com/</a>.<br><br>
<br><br>
Please join us for this historic event where the next generation of the
blind is helping to change what it means to be blind! The NFB Youth
Slam is one of the ways that the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute is providing more opportunities for blind youth to
pursue careers that were once falsely perceived as impossible and
empowering the next generation to interject their voice into the
leadership of this country.<br><br>
<br><br>
Let us celebrate the accomplishments of these youth and their mentors
while looking forward to their future full of opportunities!<br><br>
<br><br>
If you have any questions, please call Mark Riccobono at 410-659-9314
ext. 2368 or e-mail
<a href="mailto:mriccobono@nfb.org">mriccobono@nfb.org</a><br><br>
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