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<div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><font face="Helvetica"><font
size="4">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<!--?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /--><o:p></o:p></font></font></b></div>
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<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><font
face="Helvetica" size="5"> </font></o:p></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE:
12pt"><font face="Helvetica">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></font></span></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">Chris Danielsen
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">Director of
Public Relations<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">National
Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">(410) 659-9314<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">(410) 262-1281
(Cell)<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org"><font face="Helvetica">cdanielsen@nfb.org</font></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font
face="Helvetica" size="5"> </font></o:p></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font
face="Helvetica" size="5"> </font></o:p></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class="MsoNormal" align="center"><font face="Helvetica"><font
size="4"><strong>National Federation of the Blind Launches<br>
Bid for Excellence<o:p></o:p><br>
</strong></font><span class="752160118-01112011"><font
face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></span><o:p><font size="5"> </font></o:p></font></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">Online eBay
Auction to Raise Funds for the Critical Programs of the
NFB<o:p></o:p></font></span></i></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font
face="Helvetica" size="5"> </font></o:p></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><font
face="Helvetica"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Baltimore, Maryland (November 1,
2011): </span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The
National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and
largest organization of blind people in the United States,
today launched its first national online auction, the <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.nfb.org/bid">Bid
for Excellence.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The
Bid for Excellence is not only a chance to bid on fabulous
items but also an exciting opportunity to raise funds to
support the work of the NFB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The NFB provides programs, support, and mentoring
relationships that help blind people all over the nation
achieve excellence in their education, employment, and all
aspects of their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><font face="Helvetica"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">Dr. Marc
Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: “We are pleased to commence the first-ever Bid for
Excellence online auction today.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>As you bid on the diverse and exciting
items available, you will not only be making a bid for a
luxury trip to an exotic location or a valuable gift for a
loved one, but making a bid for excellence, a bid for a
bright future for blind Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Funds raised will support our efforts to
increase the number of blind children reading Braille; to
raise awareness about the true capabilities of blind people;
and to make the Internet accessible to all. <span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Please join us in our
bid for excellence for blind Americans.”<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><font face="Helvetica"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">Items available
in the Bid for Excellence, hosted on </font><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=nationalfederationoftheblind"><font
face="Helvetica">eBay</font></a><font face="Helvetica">,
include luxury accommodations in exotic locales, a
behind-the-scenes tour of a popular TV show, and plenty of
gift items just in time for the holidays.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Begin your bidding now
at </font><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nfb.org/bid"><font face="Helvetica">www.nfb.org/bid</font></a><font
face="Helvetica">. </font></span><span style="FONT-SIZE:
12pt"><font face="Helvetica"><br style="mso-special-character:
line-break">
<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><font face="Helvetica"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">For more
information about the Bid for Excellence, contact
<!--?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /--><st1:personname
w:st="on">Ann-Marie Laney</st1:personname> at (410)
659-9314, extension 2371, or </font><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:alaney@nfb.org"><font
face="Helvetica">alaney@nfb.org</font></a><font
face="Helvetica">.<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><font face="Helvetica"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><font face="Helvetica"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font face="Helvetica">###<o:p></o:p></font></span></b></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><font
face="Helvetica"> </font></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto"
class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE:
12pt">About the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt
183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt
549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">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:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The NFB improves blind
people’s lives through advocacy, education, research,
technology, and programs encouraging independence and
self-confidence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It
is the leading force in the blindness field today and the
voice of the nation's blind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In
January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the
Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training
center in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
for the blind led by the blind. </span></p>
</div>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:david.andrews@nfbnet.org">david.andrews@nfbnet.org</a>
Follow me on Twitter @dandrews920
</pre>
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