The Hilo Lions Club, in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind, is the 2015 sponsor of the annual White Cane Awareness Walk in East Hawaii for the vision-impaired starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the Mooheau Park Bandstand, with all participants carrying or using white canes.
Registration for the free event begins at 9 a.m. followed by a short walk in Downtown Hilo and the Bayfront area monitored by personal and police escorts. Hot dogs and beverages will be served to participants.
The White Cane Awareness Walk in Kailua-Kona is set for 1 p.m. Sunday, with activities from 2-4 p.m. It is being organized by the West Hawaii Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
The highlight of the West Hawaii event is a walk along Alii Drive. The main activities will take place at Hale Halawai, with information booths and refreshments.
This year, the Kailua-Kona Lions Club will build and manage an “obstacle course” of simple daily activities. It will be navigated with an eye mask and cane instead of visual cues. Some challenges will include moving in a line, going up and down steps or a ramp and finding the way through a room, said Sally Hammond, president of the West Hawaii Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
The Big Island walks are organized to raise awareness and spread information, Hammond said.
“It’s just another way to reach people in the community,” she said.
Despite their long existence, she said there are people out there who didn’t realize their ohana could benefit.
Hammond said they have people in their group with every level of sight, from blind to sighted members. This includes some people with issues such as macular degeneration, who expect to slowly go blind, she said.
One of the group’s goals is to be “the blind helping the blind,” she said.
After Congress passed a joint resolution in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed Oct. 15 of each year as “White Cane Safety Day.” Johnson understood the importance of the white cane as a staff of independence for blind people. He commended the blind for their growing spirit of independence and increased determination to be self-reliant.
For more information about the Hilo walk, email Momi Mauhili of the Hilo Lions Club at momau99@aol.com.
Email Graham Milldrum at gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com.
