[Nfbsatx] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Pepsi Refresh Project and More

[Jose Martinez]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Lamkin, Seth" <SLamkin at nfb.org>
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:26:16 -0500
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Pepsi Refresh Project and More
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org

Pepsi Refresh

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the National Federation of the Blind, I would like to
offer my deepest appreciation to all those who supported our efforts
to secure a grant in the Pepsi Refresh project. Over the last two
months, the NFB has made great strides in a contest that has featured
prominent national organizations, celebrity promotional campaigns,
product giveaway incentives, and even notable online political
movements. We can be proud of the progress we made through our
grassroots efforts and we can look forward to future opportunities
through the new partnerships we cultivated. Out of over four hundred
and fifty organizations competing for the $250,000 prize, the NFB
reached as high as 15th place. However, we were unable to break into
the top two--a necessary position to receive funding for the 2011 NFB
Youth Slam program.

While our Pepsi project has done well enough to roll over into the
October competition, we will be focusing our energies on other
efforts including our grassroots Meet the Blind Month programs. Most
notably, we are excited to unveil a new initiative in the month of
October that will support our Imagination Fund and the programs it
benefits, including the NFB Youth Slam. Today we are launching the
NFB text-to-give program. By encouraging friends, family, and others
to text the word BLIND to 85499 you can help us raise critical funds
for our programs at the local, state, and national level. Each text
message generates a $10 contribution to the NFB for our Imagination
Fund. We believe that by concentrating on this new promotion for Meet
the Blind Month, we can maximize our resources and receive the
greatest benefit for our movement.

We are more resolved than ever to find new avenues of promotion and
sources of funding for our essential programs for blind children and
adults. We all bear witness to the issues facing the nation's blind,
and we all are part of the inevitable solution. The time and energies
devoted by innumerable volunteers, family, and friends over the last
two months is a testament to that fact. Again, we whole-heartedly
thank you for your enthusiastic support and commitment as we continue
to build a future full of opportunities.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Riccobono
Executive Director, Jernigan Institute
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND