[Iabs-talk] Fw: National Federation of the Blind Announces March Drive for Imaginators

[Patti Gregory-Chang]

We signed up people at the Chicago convention yesterday but I don't think we 
reached 20 yet.  Please go ahead and sign up to be an imaginator.  We need 
your presence.

You can go to www.raceforindependence.org or you can call our national 
center at 410 659 9314 x 2371 and ask for Ann Marie Laney who will help you.

Let's at least make the 20 mark by the end of this week.  Thanks for all you 
do.


P.S.  National Federation of the Blind of Illinois is now on twitter at 
www.twitter.com/nfbi.
We also have a facebook page.  Just search for our full name.

Patti Gregory-Chang
President, National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
pattichang at att.net
www.nfbofillinois.org
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Freeh, Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org>
To: "Alpidio Rolon" <arguza at attglobal.net>; "Amy Buresh" 
<aburesh at neb.rr.com>; "Angela Wolf" <awolf at nfb-texas.org>; "Anil Lewis" 
<alewis at nfbga.org>; "Art Schreiber" <blindart at samobile.net>; "Beth Rival" 
<erival at sbcglobal.net>; "Bill Packee" <alaskanfb at yahoo.com>; "Bob Kresmer" 
<krezguy at cox.net>; "Carl Jacobsen" <office at nfbny.org>; "Cathy Jackson" 
<cathyj at iglou.com>; "Charlene Smyth" <cs.nfbwv at verizon.net>; "Christine G. 
Hall" <c.crick at msn.com>; "Dan Hicks" <danjhicks at yahoo.com>; "Daniel Burke" 
<burke.dall at gmail.com>; "Don Galloway" <dgalloway627 at gmail.com>; "Donna 
Wood" <donnajwood at cox.net>; "Elsie Lamp" <elsielamp at yahoo.com>; "Frank Lee" 
<francois57 at comcast.net>; "Franklin Shiner" <fshiner at myfairpoint.net>; "Fred 
Schroeder" <fschroeder at sks.com>; "Gary Ray" <ghraynfbofnc at charter.net>; 
"Gary Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>; "J.W. Smith" 
<jwsmithnfb at verizon.net>; "James Antonacci" <president at nfbp.org>; "James 
Broadnax" <rkbroadnax at comcast.net>; "Jennelle Bichler" <jcbichler at msn.com>; 
"Jennifer Dunnam" <jennifer.dunnam at earthlink.net>; "Joe Ruffalo" 
<nfbnj at yahoo.com>; "John Batron" <jbatron at maine.rr.com>; "John Fritz" 
<johnfritz at centurytel.net>; "Joyce Scanlan" <joyce.scanlan at earthlink.net>; 
"Ken Rollman" <gatorbumps at rushmore.com>; "Kevan Worley" 
<kevanworley at blindmerchants.org>; "Larry Posont" 
<president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>; "Lynn Majewski" <majla at verizon.net>; "Marie 
Johnson" <jomar2000 at comcast.net>; "Mary Willows" <mwillows at sbcglobal.net>; 
"Matt Lyles" <Matt76L at campbellco.cc>; "Matt Lyles" 
<nfb.arkansas at sbcglobal.net>; "Melissa Riccobono" <melissa at riccobono.us>; 
"Michael Barber" <m.barber at mchsi.com>; "Michael Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>; 
"Mika Pyyhkala" <pyyhkala at gmail.com>; "Nani Fife" <nanifife at aol.com>; "Pam 
Allen" <pallen at lcb-ruston.com>; "Parnell Diggs" <parnell at sccoast.net>; 
"Patti Chang" <pattichang at att.net>; "Rena Smith" <realhappygirl1 at gmail.com>; 
"Richard Gaffney" <rcgaff at cox.net>; "Ron Brown" <rb15 at iquest.net>; "Ron 
Gardner" <rgardner at nfb.org>; "Sam Gleese" <SGleese at city.jackson.ms.us>; 
"Scott LaBarre" <slabarre at labarrelaw.com>; "Selena Sundling-Crawford" 
<selena.j.sundling at irs.gov>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2010 1:57 PM
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Announces March Drive for 
Imaginators




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen at nfb.org


National Federation of the Blind
Announces March Drive for Imaginators


Join the Race for Independence and Win Funds for Your Affiliate




Baltimore, Maryland (March 8, 2010): With five months remaining in the
first phase of the National Federation of the Blind's Race for
Independence, Imagination Fund Chairman Parnell Diggs today urged
affiliates to sign up as many of their members as possible by March 31.
For every ten members of each of the Federation's fifty-two affiliates
that sign up to be Imaginators and participate in the Race for
Independence by the end of March, the affiliate will be entered in a
drawing to receive $250.  The Race for Independence is designed to raise
funds for the National Federation of the Blind Imagination Fund, which
supports the education, technology, and research projects of the NFB
Jernigan Institute, as well as programs conducted by the fifty-two
affiliates and over seven hundred local chapters of the Federation.  The
Race for Independence will also bring public attention to the need for
full and equal access for blind Americans to modern technology, in
everything from home appliances to automobiles.



Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "The Imagination Fund represents the hopes and aspirations of
blind Americans.  Through this effort we are able to create innovative
research, training, education, and technology programs that improve the
lives of the blind and move us closer to our ultimate goal of full
integration into society on a basis of equality.  The crisis in Braille
literacy for blind children and advances in technology that, if not
properly designed, will threaten the independence of the blind mean that
time is of the essence.  But I am confident that with the help of our
members and friends, we will ensure that blind children are literate and
can pursue the

career of their choice; that blind people have access to cutting-edge
technology; and that opportunities for all blind Americans are limited
only by our capacity to dream.  I am certain that friendly competition
among our affiliates will dramatically increase the number of
Imaginators participating in this important effort."



Parnell Diggs, chairman of the NFB Imagination Fund, said; "It is
crucial that we register as many Imaginators as possible by the end of
March to put us in the best possible position to maximize the success of
the 2010 campaign.  We will then have three full months before our
convention in Dallas to put the pedal to the metal and solicit
donations. Let's race!"



To sign up to be an Imaginator and help build the Imagination Fund,
please visit www.raceforindependence.org
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/>  or call (410) 659-9314, extension
2371.





###





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.