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Dugan graduated this fall, proudly ringing his Freedom Bell.

And students keep right on ringing their Freedom Bells this week and next, and on into the New Year! Thanks to the 69 individuals who gave online on Colorado Gives Day, December 5, as well as the two dozen or more who brought in checks or cash. We especially want to recognize the Tuesday morning Older ������ Programs group who passed a bucket around the room for contributions at the urging of John Batron. Our total for the Day was $13,353.

In addition, the weeks of November preceding the big day saw us collect another $10,000-plus.

Colorado Gives Day again broke its previous giving records, with $36,129,285 in donations from more than 150,000 donors. Our portion was modest compared to that number, but we are very happy and grateful for our small part and the opportunities these funds offer to our students. It’s great to be part of this statewide effort in its eighth year!

Starting with a little turkey structured discovery right up to the point where we start stuffing our faces, when the videographer puts away his camera to get in line. Even journalism has its natural limits.

Thanks to the generous support of so many, Colorado Gives Day (CGD) is truly an important part of our annual fundraising. Your contributions support our youth and senior programs as well as challenge recreation and art activities. We thank you for your past support and hope you will continue to support us with your donations in 2017 and by spreading the word about the work we do every day to make positive changes in the lives of blind people of all ages.

For our part, we pledge to continue to bring all the energy and ingenuity we have to innovate new ways to assist blind people to “Take Charge with Confidence and Self-reliance”!

Last Monday our student J.D. couldn’t wait to report his big news.

“Good news isn’t as good if you can’t tell someone,” he said at morning announcements.

He went on to tell us that he had been named Editor of the Colorado Fire Fighter, the newsletter of the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association (CSFFA). His increasing skill and confidence with nonvisual access to computers and the Internet permit him to put his native skills in writing and editing to work on the CSFFA newsletter.

J.D. was a volunteer fire fighter in northeastern Colorado for many years before becoming blind a year and a half ago, and is still strongly dedicated to the CSFFA and the work its members do across the state.

Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance

Colorado Gives Day is December 5, and donations received that day online receive a share of an incentive fund, as well as being subject to lower credit card fees. But as we get into the Thanksgiving weekend and all that entails, be assured that you can go to and schedule a donation as well!

Meantime, enjoy the video!

There was plenty on Thursday, November 16 – plenty to eat and to be thankful for at our 100-percent student-prepared Thanksgiving Feast!

It’s tradition at the ������ to hold our own Thanksgiving feast before we break for visits to family and friends on the official holiday. Our students cook it all with the guidance of our unparalleled ������ Management staff, and there are always a lot of “firsts”.

For example, every year there are students who have never seen what a turkey looks like just out of the refrigerator. So on Tuesday, with serving gloves on, students examined and explored the four turkeys that eventually became our dinner.

And on Thursday in the buffet line Casey was happily talking about the gravy he had made.

In this part of the world, the BBC’s World Service can be heard during normal sleeping hours on one of our public radio stations. This week our volunteer photographer/videographer Mike Thompson had the BBC World Service on while falling back to sleep in the wee hours when he heard a familiar voice and a familiar name – Poonam Vaidya.

Poonam is from Bangalore, India and was one of our international students. (We always try to have one international student at any given time.) She graduated in 2016. Poonam was one of two blind women interviewed for the BBC program, “The Conversation.” The 30-minute radio podcast gives interesting insights into how blindness is viewed in other cultures.

And thanks for the great plug, Poonam!

Here are a few photos from the Shared Visions reception at the at on Thursday night. Everyone got hands on with pieces from Nathan Abels’ painting and drawing classes. CCB students also had laser-cuts of drawings they made in Ann Cunningham’s art class with accompanying Haiku, and CCB alum Jenny Callahan had a number of stone carvings and a bronze in the show.

The Seniors art class had bowls thrown on the wheel in Katie Caron’s ceramics studio. Katie brought her daughter, who insisted on wearing sleepshades so she could try to identify the art tactilely.

The Friday Seniors took a walk around Sterne Park’s pond to do a little birding by ear with Ali Mayes from . It was a good day for various ducks and the ever-present Canada Geese!

Students and staff took a Friday afternoon to visit the Chatfield Farms Corn Maze. Martin took his GoPro along and brought back this footage. It was “Structured Discovery” at its most fun!