<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Georgia;
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:896744367;
mso-list-template-ids:-555838888;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Friends,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>We hold a Crab Race in connection with our annual NFB of Maryland State Convention. This is a fundraiser where you can support your favorite crab contestant by putting a bit of money on them in $5 increments, and the people who supported the winning crab split the pot with NFBMD. Following the banquet, the six crab contestants – we call them “crabs” participate in a race to see who gets to the “finish line” first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>This year, you will get to decide who one of the six crabs will be. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Here are the rules:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Nomination Round:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Anyone can nominate someone to be a crab between now and December 20, 2025. You can nominate yourself if you wish. Send nominations via email to <a href="mailto:Convention@nfbmd.org"><span style='color:#1475AD'>Convention@nfbmd.org</span></a>. We recommend you make sure the person you are nominating wishes to participate and also plans to attend the convention in person.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Voting Round:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Those who get two or more nominations will be advanced to the voting round. We will post a form online for folks to cast their vote after December 20. Voting will close on January 20, 2025. We will announce the winner at the Convention, and they will be the sixth crab.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>Existing Crabs:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>The following are already chosen as crabs for the 2026 convention, so you may want to choose someone else to nominate:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#2B353B;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;box-sizing: border-box'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>Fearless Crab Judy Rasmussen<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#2B353B;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;box-sizing: border-box'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>Christmas Crab – Sharon Maneki<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#2B353B;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white;box-sizing: border-box'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>TBD Crab Mark Riccobono<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#2B353B;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>TBD Crab: Mike Gosse<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#2B353B;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>TBD Crab: Shawn Callaway<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white;box-sizing: border-box;margin-block: 36px;font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:#2B353B'>For questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Ronza Othman at <a href="mailto:President@nfbmd.org"><span style='color:#1475AD'>President@nfbmd.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>