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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Good evening Federation Family:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At our state convention last fall, the board voted to move forward with a BELL academy in 2022. After careful consideration of the ever-changing landscape surrounding Covid-19 and what may or may not happen over the next few months, however, the board voted at our February meeting to postpone an in-person BELL academy to 2023. We believe the safety of our BELL families, volunteers, and anyone else involved is of the utmost importance, regardless of mitigation efforts or lack thereof depending on circumstances, and we felt that it was not worth the risk and didn’t want the affiliate in a position where we would be liable in any way. This pause on in-person BELL activities will also put the affiliate in a better position to fund raise, market, and make a 2023 BELL academy even more successful. In the meantime, we encourage families to sign up for the BELL Academy in home addition later this summer and will share that information as well. We hope anyone interested in promoting, working with, or otherwise being involved with BELL next year in Iowa will be ready to go in 2023, and we look forward to seeing the results of our work then! Please feel free to reach out if there are any questions!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Scott Van Gorp, President<br>National Federation of the Blind of Iowa<br>Phone: 515-720-5282<br></span><a href="mailto:svangorp@nfbi.org"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Email</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbi.org/"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Website</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <br></span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823082570/posts"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Facebook</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <br></span></i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfb_iowa"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>Twitter</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <br>Live the life you want.<br></span></i><br>The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>