DINING IN THE DARK

Facing the blind side

Clients of Lighthouse guide, serve dinner guests in blacked-out room

Bumping into each other, guests apologized and giggled and were led to their tables Sept. 18 to dine in darkness at Noah's Event Center. Partygoers in groups of 10 put their left hands on the left shoulders of the people in front of them and shuffled through a zigzag entrance draped in black cloth to prevent any light from creeping into the blacked-out dining room.

Blind and visually impaired employees of Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind helped guests into their seats, and then left to fetch the main course while guests felt the plates and utensils before them, ate their salads and poured wine very gingerly into their glasses.

Catered by Capers, the dinner included a goat cheese-stuffed chicken breast on a bed of rice and asparagus. The hour-long dinner was totally in the dark except for when a guest used a cellphone light to see. The person was immediately booed by the crowd for breaking the rules.

Guests were given aprons to protect their clothes and packages of wet-wipes in the apron pockets to clean up sticky fingers after the meal.

A pre-dinner reception included drinks and a silent auction and a chance for guests to have their names written in Braille and putt a golf ball wearing sight-limiting goggles.

It was the 75th anniversary of Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind and the Rev. Pamela Cicioni of Rogers, granddaughter of founder the Rev. Jeff Smith, was in attendance.

A short program after the dinner included a check presentation of $150,000 to the organization, which received a Community Wins grant through a collaboration between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation.

The nonprofit employs Arkansans who are blind and visually impaired in a clothing-manufacturing facility with government contracts.

High Profile on 09/27/2015

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