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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=186 height=184 src="cid:image003.jpg@01D24124.A963E510" align=left hspace=16 vspace=16 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>THE NEW Great Lakes BRAL Contest IS HERE!</span></b><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> The National Federations of the Blind of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York have joined together to offer the first annual Great Lakes regional Braille Readers Are Leaders contest for kids, grades K-12. Contestants compete to read the most Braille pages, going against other kids in similar grades across all eight states. The contest runs for 7 weeks, encouraging kids to be proud of their Braille reading ability and to work to improve their skills -- while possibly winning prizes in the process. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A thumbnail sketch of the contest: </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>A certifying official (parent, teacher, etc.) should fill out and submit a registration form. This can be done as early as November 1, 2016, and as late as January 20, 2017. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Kids enter in one of five grade categories: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, & 9-12. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Record Braille pages read between December 1, 2016, and January 20, 2017, on a reading log. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The certifying official should submit the reading log form by February 1, 2017. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Prizes in each grade category are: first, $25; second, $15; third, $10. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Every contestant, whether a winner or not, will receive a goodie bag at the end of the contest. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>To get the complete contest rules, registration form, and the reading log form, visit the website, http://www.nfbofillinois.org/great-lakes-bral-contest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Symbol'>• </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Both the registration form and the reading log form should be submitted by email as attachments to </span><a href="mailto:dkent5817@att.net"><span class=Hyperlink0><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>dkent5817@att.net</span></span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>. Please put BRAL in the subject line. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>If you have questions, contact the contest administrator:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Deborah Stein</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Email: </span><span class=Hyperlink0><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>dkent5817@att.net</span></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>. Please put BRAL in the subject line. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>phone number: 773-203-1394</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><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>David Andrews and Long White Cane Harry<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:dandrews@visi.com">dandrews@visi.com</a> or <a href="mailto:david.andrews@nfbnet.org">david.andrews@nfbnet.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Twitter: @dandrews920<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>