Nashville hosts seventh annual ‘Vision Walk’ to fight blindness

By Bryan Ros

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The city of Nashville presented its seventh annual “Vision Walk” on April 20 at Bicentennial State Park, raising more than $45,000 to aid in funding retinal disease research as members hope to find a cure.

Members gather as they wait for this year's "Walk" to commence.

            Members of the successful foundation gathered at the park that morning hoping to make a difference by participating in the seventh annual walk around Bicentennial State Park. According to the event Manager Natalie Linton, the walk not only signifies the support for such a great cause, but it also serves as a celebration of raising almost $50,000 in funds towards degenerative retinal disease research.

             “I have a mission,” Nashville Chapter President Peggy Mitchell said. “And all of you here today are proof of that. Your support is truly wonderful.”

            Mitchell suffers from Usher syndrome, which causes both hearing and vision loss, but she claims that she is not letting that get in the way of her mission to find a cure for blindness together with the chapter members of Music City.

            Each year, new groups form with team names based on close family members or friends suffering from a form of eye disease to work together to raise money for the Vision Walk Foundation. Aside from the walk that gets spirits running high, the event also presents a “best T-shirt contest” for the most spirited team who gave it their all in fundraising for a possible future cure.

"Vision Walkers" begin by walking under the balloon arch.

            “This is my sixth year attending,” said Dot Johnson, a senior citizen from Franklin. “Our pastor’s daughter suffers from an eye disease, so he’s the one that got us all involved one year, and we were hooked. It’s just such a great cause.”

Johnson attended with about 45 other members of her church, Franklin United Methodist, and her group alone fundraised approximately $11,000 towards the cause.

Mitchell spoke about how anyone interested in attending chapter meetings is more than welcome as they can provide a support mechanism for any family member or close friend suffering from a degenerative eye condition.

The Vision Walk Foundation has fundraised a total of $470,000 since the first “Walk” in 2007. For information on participating in next year’s “Walk”, visit www.fightblindness.org.

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