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<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 08, 2010 1:57
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Angela Wolf; Anil Lewis; Art
Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cathy Jackson;
Charlene Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna
Wood; Elsie Lamp; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Gary Ray; Gary
Wunder; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; James Broadnax; Jennelle Bichler; Jennifer
Dunnam; Joe Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joyce Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kevan
Worley; Larry Posont; Lynn Majewski; Marie Johnson; Mary Willows; Matt Lyles;
Matt Lyles; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala;
Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena Smith; Richard Gaffney;
Ron Brown; Ron Gardner; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Selena
Sundling-Crawford<BR><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind Announces
March Drive for Imaginators<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
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<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chris Danielsen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Director of Public Relations<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face=Arial>National Federation of the Blind
<BR>Announces March Drive for Imaginators<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H1>
<H2 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 12pt 0in 3pt" align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><EM><FONT face=Arial>Join the Race for <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Independence</st1:City></st1:place> and Win Funds
for Your Affiliate<o:p></o:p></FONT></EM></SPAN></H2>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Baltimore,
Maryland (March 8, 2010):</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> 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. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
Race for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City> 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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
Race for <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Independence</st1:place></st1:City> 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.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation
of the Blind, said: “The Imagination Fund represents the hopes and aspirations
of blind Americans.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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 <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I am </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">certain that friendly
competition among our affiliates will dramatically increase the number of
Imaginators participating in this important effort.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We will then have
three full months before our convention in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Dallas</st1:place></st1:City> to put the pedal to the metal and
solicit donations. Let’s race!”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To sign up to be an Imaginator and help build the
Imagination Fund, please visit <A
href="http://www.raceforindependence.org/">www.raceforindependence.org</A> or
call (410) 659-9314, extension 2371</SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman">.</FONT></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
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align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
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face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">About the National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">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 <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place>. 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 <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place> for the blind led by the
blind.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV>
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