Do you think you could rappel down a 120-foot building? What if you couldn’t see?
Jesse Miller will be doing just that at VisionCorps’ Eye Drop event on July 9. Jesse, who is legally blind, will be going “over the edge” of the 10-story Holiday Inn Lancaster to raise money for the nonprofit. After Jesse lost his vision in 2018 due to a medical emergency, VisionCorps helped him adapt to living independently without sight. Now, Jessie works at VisionCorps on their manufacturing team. Eye Drop 2021 will be Jesse’s second time participating in the event.
Another participant, Natanya Sortland, is also legally blind. After she lost her sight in 2014 from a medical condition, Natanya had trouble finding support. She felt hopeless, often accidentally injuring herself while cooking and unable to read emails or pay her bills. Finally, she was connected with VisionCorps and received support that helped her adjust to living without sight. Now, she can safely cook in her kitchen, use her computer and confidently walk down the street. Natanya is planning to rappel in a Lady Liberty costume to symbolize how VisionCorps provided her with the help and services she needed to live independently.
All participants have been fundraising over the past couple months. No climbing or rappelling experience is necessary to participate in the event. In 2019, their youngest participant was 15 and their oldest was 84. Participants commit to a fundraising minimum in exchange for the opportunity to rappel down the Holiday Inn overlooking downtown Lancaster while passersby cheer from the street below.
All proceeds help fund VisionCorps’ mission of providing the tools and training necessary for people living with low vision and blindness to live as independently as possible. Legal blindness is defined as having a visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better-seeing eye with correction (glasses or contacts) or having a visual field less than 20 degrees (extreme tunnel vision). VisionCorps provides services such as prevention of blindness, rehabilitation services, support and educational services and training in access technology. Through Eye Drop 2021, VisionCorps hopes to raise $200,000.
To learn more about VisionCorps, click here.
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