Dinner in the Dark

A Unique Experience to Benefit the Leader Dogs for the Blind

Alisha Yocum

Imagine performing everyday tasks—taking a shower, climbing stairs, or eating dinner—without sight. The Glade Valley Lions Club’s Dinner in the Dark aimed to give attendees a firsthand experience of the daily challenges faced by nearly one million Americans living with blindness.

Members of the Walkersville Middle and High School Leo Club, along with ASSE Foreign Exchange Students, partnered with the Lions Club to plan the event and guide attendees through the experience. After putting on a blindfold, guests were escorted to their seats, where volunteers provided detailed instructions on the placement of their beverages and utensils. As dinner was served, attendees were guided to locate their food, referencing the placement to a hand on a clock. Dinner ensued with friendly conversation, all without seeing the guests who were seated at the table with them.

Attendees shared the challenges of dining blindfolded, noting the difficulty of scooping peas or the uncertainty of each bite’s flavor and texture without being able to see their food.

All proceeds from the event, including the silent auction items, were to benefit The Leader Dogs for the Blind. The Michigan-based organization was founded in 1939 by Lions Charles Nutting, Donald Schuur, and S.A. Dodge, who wanted to help a fellow Lion who had lost his sight and wanted a guide dog.

The organization trains and provides guide dogs free of charge to those living with blindness, with their goal to provide the tools and resources needed to them to live independently.

FSK Lion Ellen Bennett and her future leader-dog-in-training, Rosie, were on hand to share their story. Bennett has raised money for the organization for many years, but after visiting the facility, she and her husband decided to become a Leader Dog Trainer. The couple received the Labrador retriever in February and will help train her over the next year. While Bennett recognizes the challenge of giving the puppy back after a year, she knows Rosie will go on to serve someone who really needs her, and she encourages others to think about becoming a trainer.

Next up, Gettysburg resident and Emmitsburg Lion, Bill Bowers, and his leader dog, Brodie, made their way to the stage, demonstrating how Brodie guides Bowers up the flight of steps. Bowers, who has been blind since birth, has not allowed the disability to limit his success in life. He graduated high school in the top 10 percent of his class and went on to earn three degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, and he would spend his career working for the U.S. Government.

Brodie is Bowers’ third leader dog, all of which have been given to him at no cost. Brodie makes things like walks to the mailbox possible. The cost to train both the dog and the client lands in the range of $75,000. Bowers and his wife, Marilyn, are very thankful for all the Lions have done to raise money so that others can have the same independence.

The event raised over $5,000 for Leader Dogs for the Blind. A special thanks to the local businesses and individuals who sponsored the event: Walkersville Fire Company, L.S. Fuel, Emmitsburg Lions Club, Old Towne Restaurant, Woodsboro Walkersville Times, Mason Carter, Hummingbird Wealth Management, Affordable Pest Control, Richard Yankosky, James Corely, George Basford, A Bloom Florist, April Showalter, Mary Potash, Jefferey Corp (Burge King), Jeb Cliber, Jennifer Smith, Ben Smith, Claire Smith, Trout’s Market, Penquin Random House, Esther Marie Emsile, Cathy Widder, Thurmont Kountry Kitchen, Stone House Cakery and Café, Mountain Gate Family Restaurant, Henry Wilson, WLR Automotive Group, Laura Beall, and Helping Hands. For more information about Leader Dogs for the Blind or to donate, visit www.leaderdog.org.

Sophia Tsimba, President of the Walkersville Middle School Leo Club (left), and Juliet Shabelski, Vice President of the Walkersville Middle School Leo Club (right), guide blindfolded attendees through dinner to experience what it’s like for the over one million Americans living with blindness.

Rosie, a Leader Dog in training by FSK Lion Ellen Bennet and her husband, will go on to serve someone who really needs her.

Rosie, a Leader Dog in training by FSK Lion Ellen Bennet and her husband, will go on to serve someone who really needs her.

Emmitsburg Lions, Bill and Marilyn Bowers, and their Leader Dog, Brodie, were special guests at the Glade Valley Lions Dinner in the Dark.