Blind Center hosts 15th-annual fundraiser
Published 8:07 pm Thursday, May 3, 2018
- ROCKING FOR A CAUSE: Blind Center client Emily Wilkes rocks to gets some training time in for the Center’s 15th-annual Rock-A-Thon. Additional clients, shown here cheering for Wilkes, will also be rocking for the annual fundraiser. (Dottie Walker)
Once a year, for 15 years, The Blind Center of North Carolina clients are rocking for a cause — their cause — to support the center and its services.
This year’s Rock-A-Thon takes place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featuring vendors, lunch plates and ice cream; board members and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions. But the stars of the event are the clients in rocking chairs, rocking for their center.
“They rock for funds. They just ask anybody that they know if they would be willing to support them … ‘We’re willing to rock from 10 to 3; would you be willing to support us with a donation?’” said Kim Revels, social worker for the blind.
“I would say the Rock-A-Thon, in relation to the Blind Center, this is one of the more important (fundraisers), because it’s the one fundraiser that (the clients) raise the money for. They are very involved with, and it also allows the community to come and meet them,” said Blind Center interim Director Christie Moler. “They compete against each other to raise money. It’s fun. They can contribute and that’s very important to them — that they can give back, because in so many ways they are the ones receiving.”
Moler said the center serves on average about 10 clients per day, while the social work side sees more.
Additional Rock-A-Thon highlights range from a craft show to homemade ice cream for sale. The gift shop, featuring items made by the blind/visually impaired with assistance from sighted volunteers, will be open, and fried chicken dinners will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a suggested donation of $7.
Both Revels and Moler encourage people to attend to shop or just find out more about The Blind Center.
“It’s just good community awareness for the center,” Revels said.
The Blind Center is located at 221 N. Harvey St., Washington.