Dr. Salerno lost his vision at age 29 due to the complications of diabetic retinopathy. He was a first year resident at the Reading Hospital & Medical Center at the time. In 1990 he joined the Lehigh Valley Health Network as the first Chief of Geriatric Medicine. In his acceptance speech, “In Search of My Own Glide Path,” Dr. Salerno reports that he will share some lessons that he has learned from blindness that have assisted him in finding safe water on some occasions and at other times have helped him to find a glide path to safely land his plane. “The search for my own glide path has enabled me to find meaning in my own life. I will share these thoughts with you in hope that you, too, will reflect upon the meaning in your life,” stated Dr. Salerno.

Tickets for the 2012 Chrysalis Award Dinner cost $85 per person and will be avilable in late August. The ticket price includes a Wine Bar Reception and Dinner. A Silent Auction will also be featured. We are grateful to our sponsors to date: Lehigh Valley Hospital Network and PPL Corporation. Sponsorship opportunities are available. If you are interested, please click here for a Sponsorship Opportunities Form or contact Karen Z. Huetter, Development Director, at 610-433-6018, x. 241 or karen.huetter@centerforvisionloss.org.

Each volunteer received a Certificate of Appreciation. Four volunteers also received special awards: Longest Service–Lois Frederick, 42 years of service as a vision screener; Greatest Impact on a Customer’s Quality of Life–Lynn Shiavione, Annie’s Angels; Newest Vision Screener–Bernice Flynn; and Newest Volunteer–Steve Klegarth, four weeks of service.

The volunteers also had the opportunity to test their knowledge of the agency by answering questions in a fun quiz. Did you know that the agency mails 1,400 customer newsletters bimonthly (they are processed by our volunteer office assistants) or that the agency vision screens more than 5,000 children each year (staff and volunteer screeners work together in this effort)? Of course, such heavy thinking was accompanied by good food and drink set up by staff member Stephanie Houck.

If you are interested in becoming a Center for Vision Loss volunteer, please contact Rita Lang at 610-433-6018, x. 231 or rita.lang@centerforvisionloss.org.

We thank all of our Center for Vision Loss volunteers and staff for lending their hearts and hands before and during the event. And we could not have been so successful without the support of our community raffle item donors; Carol Dotta, our Longaberger consultant; and our sponsors: Inova Technologies; Lessig Oil & Propane; HMK Insurance; “Lifestyles Over 50″-Jeff Tintle; Allentown Optical Corp.; Minuteman Press of the Lehigh Valley; Yeager’s Fuel; Yocco’s, Inc. and Historic Hotel Bethlehem. You filled our basket in so many ways!

We’d love to have as many donors, friends, staff and customers as possible walk on our behalf.  Our agency goal is $3,500 and, of course, we hope to surpass that! Walkers can register now by going to www.walkforahealthycommunity.org. You can register as an individual or a family or create your own team.  If you can’t make the event, register as a virtual walker! You can make your donation by credit card directly on-line, too–now that’s easy!

This year’s walk location is the SteelStacks Campus in Bethlehem.  Our walkers can look forward to a beautiful day (the walk is held rain or shine); an accessible walkway for strollers and wheelchairs; free parking and food, beverages, music and activities. You will also have a chance to win prizes valued at $1,000 collectively. For every $50 that you donate or raise in support of Center for Vision Loss, you will receive one raffle ticket.  And if you donate or raise $25 or more you will receive a Highmrk Walk for a Healthy Community T-shirt.  You can find more information at www.walkforahealthycommunity.org.  Or call Karen Huetter, Development Director, at 610-433-6018, x. 241 to find out how you can get in on the fun.

So get your feet and sneakers in gear and join us on June 2.  You’ll be glad you did!