[NFBV-Alexandria] 2018 Holman prize winners announced

Thu Jul 12 13:14:53 UTC 2018

Dear chapter members,

I wanted to share the below announcement with you… Two of this year’s winners are active members of the NFB, and one lives here in the DC area. As some of you might recall, I was honored to serve as a judge again this year – it was not easy, as there were so many great applications, but I am excited about what Stacy, Conchita, and Red will accomplish. 

Sincerely,

Brian Miller

President

Greater Alexandria Chapter of the NFB

For Immediate Release

Prize Rewarding “Blind Ambition” Announces Three New Winners

Will Butler

Director of Communications

 <mailto:wbutler at lighthouse-sf.org> wbutler at lighthouse-sf.org

415.694.7309

July 10, 2018

SAN FRANCISCO

LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s three Holman Prize recipients will use the $25,000 award to promote blind empowerment in Mexico, complete a dramatic oceanic triathlon, and develop an online community for blind travel.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — This fall, three exceptional blind individuals will set off around the world on adventures they never imagined possible as the 2018 winners of the  <http://www.holmanprize.org/> Holman Prize for Blind Ambition.

The three winners,  <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2018/07/10/meet-stacy-cervenka-creating-an-online-community-for-blind-travelers-with-the-holman-prize/> Stacy Cervenka,  <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2018/07/10/meet-conchita-hernandez-teaching-blindness-across-the-border-with-the-holman-prize/> Conchita Hernández and  <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2018/07/10/meet-red-szell-braving-scotlands-most-extreme-triathlon-with-the-holman-prize/> Red Szell, were announced Tuesday, July 10, after a rigorous judging process. Each winning project embodies its own sense of adventure and ambition – whether it takes the winners on a mentally and physically daunting journey or allows them to build and foster something positive in their community.

Created to change perceptions and reclaim the concept of “blind ambition”, the annual $25,000 Holman Prize awards presented by LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco will springboard future generations of blind entrepreneurs, adventurers and ambassadors.

In its second year, the Holman Prize is named after the 19th century explorer James Holman (known around the world as “the blind traveler”) the Holman Prize aims to launch worthy projects that will change the public perception of blindness for years to come.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue the Holman Prize for a second year,” said LightHouse CEO Bryan Bashin. “These three new prizewinners represent a wide range of ambitions and life experience: from tackling social obstacles to to huge tests of physical and mental fortitude, they reflect the diversity and capability of blind people everywhere.”

Last year’s blind prizewinners, are each in the final stages of their 2017 Holman Prize projects. One of the three, Ahmet Ustunel, will finish his project on July 22 when he navigates his kayak independently across the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey without any human guidance. Read more about  <https://www.redbull.com/us-en/blind-bosphorus-strait-solo-kayak-attempt> the blind kayaker (Redbull),  <https://pilotonline.com/life/flavor/lorraine-eaton/skinning-a-fish-it-s-not-a-problem-for-this/article_4fb5a4a4-e4a7-5c9e-be27-f1bc968c140e.html> the blind baker (the Virginian Pilot), and  <https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05bdb76> the blind beekeeper(BBC).

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Meet the Winners

Stacy Cervenka’s project focuses on creating a modern-day tool that James Holman might have put to good use: it’s an accessible travel forum called the Blind Travelers Network geared specifically towards blind users, and shockingly, nothing like it exists. Think Yelp, Trip Advisor, or Cruise Critic – but designed for the empowerment of a population who wants one thing, more than anything else: information. As a “founder” of sorts, Stacy is creating a website from her own lived experience, drawing from her own adventures to know what works and what doesn’t for blind travelers.

 <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2018/07/10/meet-stacy-cervenka-creating-an-online-community-for-blind-travelers-with-the-holman-prize/> Read Stacy’s Story.

Conchita Hernández’s focus comes from her own experience of immigrating to America from Mexico as a 4-year-old, a decision her parents made in hopes of affording better opportunities for their two blind children. She will use the Holman Prize to provide staffing, lodging and scholarships for her unprecedented “Changing Lives”(Cambiando Vidas) Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico in July 2019. Geared toward families, the conference will offer workshops on white cane travel, braille and daily living. In a place where blind people are openly considered to be a burden, Cambiando Vidas strikes at a deeper insight: you can have the best education in the world, but if your family doesn’t believe in you, you are at a great disadvantage.

 <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2018/07/10/meet-conchita-hernandez-teaching-blindness-across-the-border-with-the-holman-prize/> Read Conchita’s Story.

Red Szell’s project is an unprecedented physical feat. He plans to attempt an  “Extreme Triathlon” comprised of a 200-foot abseil followed by a swim through open ocean, a 10-mile ride through a notably hazardous bog-land, and a climb up a 213-foot ocean spire called Am Buachaille off the north coast of Scotland. But more than just a triathlon, Red has a plan to document the whole endeavor, working closely with action-sports adventure videographer Keith Partridge to turn the project into more than just a feat of strength, but a message to other blind people not to give up their passions because of a change in vision.

 <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2018/07/10/meet-red-szell-braving-scotlands-most-extreme-triathlon-with-the-holman-prize/> Read Red’s Story.

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Stacy, Conchita and Red were part of a competitive pool of applicants from every continent (except Antarctica). Applicants are required to upload 90-second YouTube videos to pitch their idea for a dream project with a $25,000 budget, before submitting formal proposals.  <https://holman.lighthouse-sf.org/meet-2018-finalists/> View all 14 Holman finalists’ video pitches. Applications for the 2019 Holman Prize will open in January 2019.

The three Holman Prizewinners will fly to San Francisco in September 2018 for a week-long orientation before starting their project year on October 1. Once they land in San Francisco, the winners will not only meet and learn from each other, but they will engage with other blind teachers, technologists and leaders from LightHouse’s extended network. The winners will also create comprehensive plans to document and share their experiences along the way through video, audio, writing and other storytelling mediums.  <http://lighthouse-sf.org/2017/06/28/lighthouse-announces-three-inaugural-holman-prizewinners/> Read more about last year’s winners.

The Holman Prize is determined by a prestigious group of judges, nearly all of whom are blind. The prize is a flagship program of the LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco, who will salute each winner in an annual gala now set for November 29 in San Francisco.  <http://holman.lighthouse-sf.org/committee/> Meet the blind judges who picked the winners.

About the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition

In 2017, San Francisco’s LightHouse for the Blind launched the  <http://www.holmanprize.org/> Holman Prize to support the emerging adventurousness and can-do spirit of blind and low vision people worldwide. This endeavor celebrates people who want to shape their own future instead of having it laid out for them.

Created specifically for legally blind individuals with a penchant for exploration of all types, the Prize provides financial backing – up to $25,000 – for three individuals to explore the world and push their limits. Learn more at holmanprize.org.

About the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco

The  <http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/> LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, is actively seeking sponsorships and support for the Holman Prize, including donations of equipment for the winner’s projects. To offer your support, contact  <mailto:holman at lighthouse-sf.org> holman at lighthouse-sf.org. Individuals may donate any amount using  <https://secure.qgiv.com/for/thp> LightHouse’s secure form. For sponsorship inquiries, email us or call +1 (415) 694-7333.

Will Butler | Director of Communications

LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

1155 Market St., 10th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94103

Follow us:  <https://www.facebook.com/lighthousesf/> Facebook  <https://twitter.com/lighthouse_sf> Twitter  <https://www.youtube.com/user/LFTBSF> YouTube  <https://www.instagram.com/lighthouseblind/> Instagram

We’re hiring!  <http://lighthouse-sf.org/about/careers/> Join the LightHouse team.

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