[Mn-at-large] Weekly Update: Aug. 19+2

[David Andrews]

>
>Greetings, fellow federationists,
>I apologize for the tardiness of this email.
>Before this Summer, I had never heard the term "summer cold." Not 
>only have I heard it now, but I have experienced two of them, and 
>this last came with a pretty substantial fever. If you're battling a 
>similar illness, I wish you a speedy recovery.
>I've highlighted a couple of chapter picnics over the past few 
>newsletters, but I have to give special props to Dave Andrews and 
>the At Large Chapter for an incredibly clever idea. Since their 
>chapter meets by teleconference, this weekend saw them participating 
>in a virtual picnic. Participants brought recipes for favorite 
>picnic foods to the teleconference, and they collected those recipes 
>to share with one another. What a great way to build community even 
>when separated by some distance!
>
>Walk for Opportunity
>I encourage you to continue reaching out to friends and family to 
>help raise funds for this year's walk. The contributions have 
>already begun coming in, and we're off to a great start. Here in the 
>Metro area, door knocking has begun as well, which means are members 
>are out in the community in force.
>If you plan to attend, this is a reminder to contact Jennifer Wenzel 
>with your lunch order. She can be reached at 
><mailto:jwenzel at blindinc.org>jwenzel at blindinc.org.
>
>Snap, Crackle, and Pop
>As part of its back to school program, Rice Krispies Treats is 
>releasing specially-packaged treats in heart-shaped wrappers that 
>parents and guardians can write love notes on for their children. 
>They have also partnered with the National Federation of the Blind 
>and created heart-shaped Braille stickers and recordable boxes so 
>blind children can enjoy the program as well. This is a really fun 
>campaign, and I'm excited that our two organizations are working 
>together to share it with blind children and their parents.
>To learn more, and to order your own stickers and boxes, go to 
><https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/love-notes.html>https://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/love-notes.html.
>
>Space is Available!
>Last week, the John McCain National Defense Authorization Act was 
>signed into law. It contains language expanding eligibility for the 
>Space Available program that will allow Vietnam-era veterans who are 
>blind or have other disabilities to travel on military flights if 
>space is available. The press release is available at 
><https://nfb.org/military-space-available-accommodation-expanded-more-veterans-disabilities>https://nfb.org/military-space-available-accommodation-expanded-more-veterans-disabilities.
>This legislation passed because of years of emails, phone calls, and 
>visits to our legislators. Thank you for everything you did to make 
>it happen. This is yet one more accomplishment we should be extremely proud of.
>
>Member Spotlight
>This week, we get to know Cody Beardslee, an active federationist 
>who knows more about the Minnesota Twins than perhaps their entire 
>batting order combined. If you would like to be featured in an 
>upcoming member spotlight, please send me a brief bio or a few notes 
>about you, and I'll happily publish it.
>Cody is a native and lifelong Minnesotan who spent his childhood in 
>and around the Twin Cities. During the summers, however, he lived 
>with his grandparents at their cabin in northern Minnesota. In 
>addition to all the swimming and boating one would normally expect, 
>Cody also spent many nights listening to Twins games on the radio. I 
>love this mental picture.
>Cody is a graduate of BLIND Inc., a former treasurer of the National 
>Association of Blind Students, the president of the Minnesota 
>Association of Blind students, and a member of our state board of 
>directors. When he's not doing all that, he attends MCTC where he is 
>working toward a bachelor's degree in special education with the 
>eventual goal of becoming a teacher of blind students, and he 
>teaches cane travel at BLIND Inc.
>In addition to his tireless pursuit of all things Minnesota Twins, 
>Cody also enjoys watching old TV shows. His favorites, he says, are 
>M*A*S*H, The Simpsons, and The X-Files.
>
>Dates to Remember
>    * Aug. 25: BLIND Inc. board of directors meeting
>    * Sept. 22: Annual Walk for Opportunity
>    * Oct. 6: State board of directors meeting in Duluth.
>    * Nov. 16-18: Annual convention in St. Cloud
>
>Keep smiling,
>Ryan
>
>
>Ryan Strunk, President
><mailto:president at nfbmn.org>president at nfbmn.org
>www.nfb.org
><http://www.nfbmn.org>www.nfbmn.org
>(612) 872-9363
>Live the life you Want.
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