[NFBWV-Talk] Raffle Story

[Karen McDonald]

Hello, everyone.

I sent this post to Facebook and I would like to share it with the list.

I'm going to tell a story so I hope you all will read to the end. My husband Ed and I are longtime active members of the National Federation of the Blind, a nation-wide grassroots organization of blind people. The National Federation of the Blind holds a convention every year in cities around the country. We just completed a virtual convention and it was announced that next year's convention will take place in New Orleans. The last time we had a convention in New Orleans in 1997, Ed and I attended and it was so special to me that I haven't stopped talking about it 23 years later. For many years, Ed and I have participated in the Federation's nationwide fund-raising raffle. The raffle prize is an expense-paid trip to the following year's convention with a thousand dollars to spend during the convention. When next year's convention city was announced, I thought that it would be so cool if we won the raffle. But I never really believed that either of us would win. Last night, during the virtual convention banquet, the winner was chosen and the name was Ed McDonald. I'm still not over the complete surprise but I know this: this trip is meant to be and we'll celebrate our silver anniversary next summer in a city that is close to my heart. Thank you, my Federation family, for making this dream come true.

Peace
Karen