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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Hello everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Let’s get excited about the Race for Independence! If you have
not all ready done so, please sign up to raise money for the Imagination Fund
during this campaign. Our goal is to build a car the blind can drive by 2011;
let’s raise the funds to help make this a reality. Also, as always a portion
of the money raised will go directly to our affiliate, and a percentage will be
available for grants. We have received and used Imagination Fund grants for
Braille Rocks, BELL, and the creation of our website. Fundraising on a
national level is important work; let’s commit now and raise at least $250
before July 31<sup>st</sup>. Also, it would be great to win the $250 mentioned
below, so please tell your friends, fellow chapter members, etc. Let’s sign up
for this important “Race!” Please let me know if you have any questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Melissa<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> 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<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:3.0pt;
margin-left:0in;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Chris
Danielsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Director of
Public Relations<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>National
Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>(410)
659-9314, extension 2330<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>(410)
262-1281 (Cell)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>cdanielsen@nfb.org<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h1 align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
3.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>National Federation of the Blind <br>
Announces March Drive for Imaginators<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h2 align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
3.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center'><em><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Join the Race for Independence and Win Funds
for Your Affiliate</span></em><em><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></em></h2>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Baltimore,
Maryland (March 8, 2010):</span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:15.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>About
the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:15.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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