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SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER  2016
SEPTEMBER
6-Pint night at River Sports; supporting Catalyst Sports
11-Mandatory meeting for those going to DC, 2:00pm
13-Board meeting 6:00pm
16-College group meeting 6:00pm
18- Tandem biking Cherokee Blvd 2:00pm; RSVP Sue

 OCTOBER 
6-Indoor rock climbing, River Sports; 10:00am-12:00pm
8-11-Washington DC trip
9-Open Streets Knoxville; new location; details below
15-Catalyst Sports Expo, Victor Ashe Park, 10:00am-4:00pm
23-Tandem biking Cherokee Blvd 2:00pm; RSVP Sue
23-Pointsettia and wreath orders begin

Freedom to Fly Blog
WHAT IS NEW THIS MONTH ON OUR BLOG PAGE?

MAKE BELIEVE FOR ADULTS
I am pleased to announce that, in the near future, in conjunction with some of my male friends, we will be launching a new program to help other men experience what it is like to give birth. We plan to call it "Baby Maybe."  Read More

YOU'RE BLIND? SURE, WE CAN RENEW YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE
I need to preface this blog by letting you know that this story is no urban legend. It really happened. It was time for my wife to renew her driver's license. She had lost her vision since the last time the license had to be renewed and assumed that, no ...

FAUX SERVICE DOGS
Political candidates should be on notice that my vote can be bought. Anyone who promises to make passing off a pet as a "service dog" a capital offense, preferably with a slow, painful death, is my kind of elected official.  Read More
We welcome your comments. Please share your experiences about these topics in the comments section on the blog page.
 

NEWS
VISIONARY AT KNOXVILLE FILM FESTIVAL
A huge group of friends, including many from Club VIBES, gathered for lunch at Palancho's to support Caroline Knight preceding the screening of her film, Visionary, at the Knoxville Film Festival. Visionary is a video documenting the story of Club VIBES made by the UT student and former Delta Gamma member. At the Knoxville Film Festival Visionary won third place for Tennessee Film Documentary, Audience Favorite Tennessee Documentary Short and Audience Favorite Documentary Short. Visionary has been very effective in spreading the word about Club VIBES. Club VIBES presented Caroline with a gift of appreciation for honoring us with her film. We then attended the screening. Congratulations Caroline and thank you for sharing the story of Club VIBES.
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Sue and Caroline at Palancho's

United States Capital 
TRIP TO DC
The time for our upcoming trip to Washington DC is getting close.  Twenty-four people, 8 tandems and several single bikes are going. On September 11 at 2:00pm there will be a MANDATORY MEETING at the Buckley's for all of those who will be participating in the trip.  We will be discussing itinerary, transportation, room assignments, etc.  If you are unable to attend this meeting, contact Sue in advance and arrange to get the information you missed.

OPEN STREETS KNOXVILLE
This popular event is coming again on October 9 from 2:00pm until 6:00pm. The location has changed, this time taking place on Sutherland Ave from Forest Park, heading west and crossing over Kingston Pike on Mohican to the Homberg area. Over 6,000 people came out in May to walk, run, or bicycle with their fellow Knoxvillians.  Club VIBES will not be officially taking part due to a conflict with our Washington DC trip, but we encourage you to hop on your bike, put on your sneakers, or grab a scooter and participate. For more information click here


CATALYST SPORT EXPO
Catalyst Sports is an organization that  is dedicated to providing adaptive adventure opportunities to anyone with a physical  disability . They are hosting a Sports Expo on Saturday, October 15 at Victor Ashe Park. The purpose is to expose persons with disabilities to sports that they can participate in such as bicycling, golf, rock climbing, yoga, beeping  kickball, running and more.  Club VIBES will be there with tandems offering rides.  

You can help support the Sports Expo (and have some fun) by attending the fundraiser for Catalyst Sports at, Pint Night, at Riversports on Sutherland Ave on September 6 from 6:00pm-9:00pm. We would love to have you come out and help Catalyst Sports raise money for the Sport Expo. For more information click here

We encourage all VIBES members and their families to attend this expo and learn more about many sports opportunities available to them. Click here to register and for more information. Volunteers are also needed to help with the event.


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Volunteer Advocacy Project (VAP) trains interested individuals to advocate for families as they navigate their way through the special education process. The training will take place on Tuesday mornings from 9am-12pm CST (10am-1pm EST) beginning on August 30  until November 15  at a range of locations across the state. The training will run for 12 weeks (a total of 40 hours). They  are recruiting for our fall session and would like you to consider volunteering.  To view the flyer on the VAP training  click here  .

For more information or if you have questions, contact  Volunteer Advocacy Project Coordinators at   Vanderbilt Kennedy Center 
Maria P. Mello,  Maria.p.mello@vanderbilt.edu
Kelli A. Sanderson,  kelli.a.sanderson@vanderbilt.edu
615-669-2581

TWENTY TIPS ON HOW TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND 
Blind people can be as effective as sighted people, but they often experience exclusion in social situations, at work, at school, and even at home. Blind New World, a campaign led by the Perkins School for the Blind, offers ways to include those who are blind and break down some of the barriers they face.  Pass this article on to those you work with, go to school, church and socialize with to help remove these barriers.   Read More

SPOTLIGHT
MEET OUR PARTNER, DR. BRUCE  GILLILAND
We are happy to announce that Dr. Gilliland is a Dragonfly partner of Club VIBES. We greatly appreciate his support both through his partnership and through the help he provides to the visually impaired in his optometry practice. His low vision evaluations help his patients, which include several Club VIBES members, live more independent, and active lives. 

Thank you for your support, Dr. Gilliland.

MEMBERS CORNER
INDOOR ROCK CLIMBING CONTINUES
Riversports Outfitters on Sutherland Ave has an indoor rock climbing program for persons with disabilities on the first Saturday of every month from 10:00am until 12:00pm.  There is a $10 fee which covers equipment, coaching and time on the wall. There are scholarships available.  For more information or to register,  click here
COLLEGE AND YOUNG PROFESSIONAL GROUP
Now that the college students have returned to campus and resumed classes, our college/young professional group will resume meeting on September 16 at 6:00pm at the Buckley's. Please RSVP to Sue to let her know if you are coming.
FUNDRAISING
GET YOUR CLUB VIBES MERCHANDISE 
We have a number of items for sale with Club VIBES logos. These include coasters with the dragonfly logo to catch the moisture that collects in your cup holders, micro fiber towels in orange, green, blue or gray, with a carabiner to attach to your golf or sports bag, and either a tandem or dragonfly logo and long and short sleeve tee shirts with a whimsical picture of tandem riders. Call or email Sue to make a purchase. Check with Sue for prices and to purchase these items.

Long sleeve "wee" t-shirt-                micro-fiber towels                 cup holder coasters
     
UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS
Mark your calendar for these upcoming events
--Pointsetta and wreath sale, October 23-November 27; delivery will be December 5
--Belk Charity Day sale, watch the Newsletter for the exact date in early November

TECH NEWS
ARE YOU USING NFB  NEWSLINE ?
IT NOW INCLUDES ADVERTISING!
Those with visual impairments often find it difficult or impossible to read newspapers or magazines. NFB Newsline makes it possible to access just about any daily, weekly, or monthly publication they might like to read (yes, the Knoxville News Sentinel is available). After registration, users either dial a local phone number for the audio version or receive their chosen publication in an online version through email. The reader can select their publication, scan sections, article titles, or search for specific topics.  A new feature is the ability to check out advertisements included in the newspapers from Walmart and Target so that the reader can see what is on sale. The current day, the previous day, and the previous Sunday's newspapers are available and can be accessed from anywhere in the country. This service is free. 
For more information or to register,  click here
THANK YOU TO OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS FOR 2016

PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
DRAGONFLY
 
Sherbakoff Nalls Group

ANONYMOUS



Arnold Cohen,
Attorney at Law

Dr. Bruce Gilliland