Summer 2004

George Jacobson, President Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind

We were privileged to receive an email not long ago from Myrlene “Willy” Wilkinson, a Deaf-Blind woman from Vancouver, Washington, who attended our 25^th annual Deaf-Blind retreat last summer at the Seabeck Conference Center on Hood Canal. It read in part:

Willy’s message does a great job of summing up why the annual Deaf-Blind Retreat is such an important Lighthouse program. The retreat truly exemplifies our mission of creating opportunities for people to lead independent and self-sufficient lives. Each August, Deaf-Blind people and skilled volunteers come from across the country to experience an entire week designed with accessibility for Deaf-Blind people in mind.  The week is filled with formal and informal opportunities to connect with one another, to build friendships and share experiences, and to learn new ways to live independently as Deaf-Blind people. Willy’s email continues:

“There were many superb activities going on. It was great to have a wide range of choices. I found all the activities I participated in to be intellectually stimulating, which is so important to me… I always feel myself loaded with new skills on the day of departure.”

I would like to take this opportunity to commend Lighthouse staff for the hundreds of hours of effort poured into planning and hosting the retreat. I am certain there is no other group of people in the country with the knowledge and skills necessary to pull together such a complex and rewarding week.

Of course we could not provide this one-of-a-kind opportunity without tremendous involvement from the community. Over 100 volunteers, skilled in American Sign Language, pay their own way each year to support Deaf-Blind attendees of the retreat. Although attendees are asked to pay a fee, we must also receive financial support from the community to cover full costs of the event and provide scholarships for those needing assistance. Last year 258 donors contributed $36,948.40 to support the retreat, allowing us to serve sixty-eight Deaf-Blind individuals during the week.

All of those involved with the retreat - attendees, volunteers, Lighthouse staff, and financial supporters - realize they are part of something really special.  As Willy’s message says:

“Upon my departure for home after the retreat ended, I felt much gratitude toward the Lighthouse for arranging the retreat. Being there is always the most fun time of the year for me… The Lighthouse deserves a big applause for their commitment to make Seabeck retreat the best Deaf-Blind retreat in the world.”

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