Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance

Category: Challenge Recreation

  • Colorado Gives Day is 4 Weeks Away!

    by

    Dan Burke

    A man on skis wearing a "Blind Skier" vest moves down a snowy slope at the direction of a guide behind him

    A man on skis wearing a "Blind Skier" vest moves down a snowy slope at the direction of a guide behind him
    Vaughn Skiing at Eldora with his Ignite ski guide

    It’s Colorado’s biggest online giving event of each year, and just about our biggest fund-raising event too! It’s on the news, in your email box – just about everywhere.

    But just so you don’t forget, you can go online at https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/CoCenter and schedule a donation to roll over on December 6. That’s the day your gift will count toward our percentage of the $1 Million Incentive Fund for Colorado Gives Day!

    And how does your donation help our students? It helps with things like our ground-breaking tactile art program and challenge recreation activities like rock climbing and skiing.… Read the rest “Colorado Gives Day is 4 Weeks Away!”

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  • Challenging the Rock with Denver Climbing Co. #ChallengeRec

    by

    Dan Burke

    Gene seen from above as he nears the top. Clear Creek visible far below.

    Late this spring we determined to bring challenge recreation back for our students. We set it aside for over a year for reasons of social distancing, etc. First, We arranged to go whitewater rafting in Idaho Springs, where we’d gone for almost ten years, and it was great to be back on Clear Creek with some old friends!

    Meanwhile, martin Becerrra-Miranda was tasked with finding a new company to guide our Independence Training Program students on rock climbing excursions.

    “I think these guys might be the ones,” Martin said after talking with Dan Krug of Denver Climbing Co. “They just get it.”… Read the rest “Challenging the Rock with Denver Climbing Co. #ChallengeRec”

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  • Horsing Around with Arapahoe County Sheriff Office’s mounted Unit @ArapahoeSO

    by

    Dan Burke

    Kelly in sleep shades and mask turns her head to her right while she brushes a white horse named Booger with her left hand. Booger is sticking his tongue out.

    Kelly in sleep shades and mask turns her head to her right while she brushes a white horse named Booger with her left hand. Booger is sticking his tongue out.

    Monday August 3 students and staff at the Colorado Center for the Blind met up with members of the Arapahoe County Sheriff Offices Mounted Unit at nearby Sterne Park. When Lt. Rich Anselmi, the unit’s commander first contacted Executive Director Julie Deden a while back about planning something together, Julie immediately reacted that it sounded like a lot of fun. She probably meant it would be fun for the students, too.

    Four deputies, all members of the Mounted Unit, and about 20 volunteers were on hand with eleven horses, two of which were miniatures and one a small pony. Students and staff all got up close with one of the horses to learn about the animal and the basics of grooming, which usually requires three different brushes.… Read the rest “Horsing Around with Arapahoe County Sheriff Office’s mounted Unit @ArapahoeSO”

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  • Happy Holidays! Thanks to All of You, Lives Change at the Colorado Center for the Blind

    by

    Dan Burke

    Three young students stand in front of a medical vehicle, all wearing Santa hats

    Three young students stand in front of a medical vehicle, all wearing Santa hats
    Caption: Cristian, Shyanne and Kelly stand in front of the medical vehicle at South Suburban Fire and Rescue Station #12 on December 16. They had just delivered a box of holiday cookies and treats baked by students to on-duty fire fighters. In turn, fire fighters showed students one of the trucks and the medical vehicle. The three students assisted in delivering treats to Littleton Police, where they met Chief Doug Stephens, as well as other officials. It is an annual tradition, our way of thanking the community that is the home of the Colorado center for the Blind.

    We’re celebrating the holidays, and we hope you are too!… Read the rest “Happy Holidays! Thanks to All of You, Lives Change at the Colorado Center for the Blind”

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  • Celebrating Our Volunteers

    by

    Dan Burke

    Group shot CCB Volunteers 2018

    Group shot CCB Volunteers 2018

    Thirteen is our lucky number when you look at the Rogue’s Gallery in this photo. These are thirteen volunteers who contribute so muchto the Colorado Center for the Blind and to our students. Yet they humbly protest that they get back more than they give. We suppose that’s their call, but we’re telling you they give a lot. They teach Braille to seniors and drive vans, sort through the truckloads of Bed, Bath and beyond donations we received last year, teach students how to write a resume and several read a section or two of the ACT to one of our students.… Read the rest “Celebrating Our Volunteers”

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  • From Motorcycles to the New Parking Lot to the #NFBCO18 Convention: Catching Up with All of Autumn

    by

    Dan Burke

    CCB students and staff gather near a row of motorcycles lined up in front of the McGeorge Mountain Terrace Apartments

    CCB students and staff gather near a row of motorcycles lined up in front of the McGeorge Mountain Terrace Apartments

    There are lots of opportunities for students at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Some are part of the formal program, others staff and students develop out of their own interests and contacts. This fall activities like motorcycle rides and rock climbing were mixed in with graduations and the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Convention, to name a few.

    Pictured above: On September 9 students had a chance to go for a motorcycle ride into the mountains. Members of the Sentinels Motorcycle Club loaded up students and took a tour as far as Indian Hills before returning for lunch at Wrigley’s Chicago Bar & Grill in golden.… Read the rest “From Motorcycles to the New Parking Lot to the #NFBCO18 Convention: Catching Up with All of Autumn”

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  • Thumbs Up for Scuba Divers!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Group of 14 in Scuba Gear in the corner of the pool smile and wave

    A group of seven Colorado Center for the blind students took a scuba lesson on August 31, thanks to the enthusiasm, organization and experience of one of their peers, Brian Bussard and A-1 Scuba and Aquatics Center in Littleton. In fact, A-1 donated the lesson, including gear and instructor time!

    Bussard, who came to CCB as a student six months ago, is already a certified diver. He has been for 10 years and loves the sport, but hadn’t been diving in the two years since he became blind, so it was as much his own motivation to get back to the sport as his desire to share it with his fellow students that resulted in his setting up the entire adventure.… Read the rest “Thumbs Up for Scuba Divers!”

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  • Belding Travels with Hockey Stick All the Way to the First U.S. #BlindHockey team #LivetheLifeYouWant @USAHockey

    by

    Dan Burke

    Daniel in full Hockey gear in action on the ice

    Daniel works the puck across the ice
    Daniel in full Hockey gear in action on the ice

     

    Since January, fans attending Colorado Avalanche games have been treated to between-periods video of the Try Blind Hockey Day on January 17. Over 50 blind Coloradans went out on the ice that day, some for the first time, others with a stick in their hand for the first time. Fans are impressed by the video, but it is little more than an historical artifact now.

    In just three short months, blind hockey has gone from being nonexistent in Colorado to a sport avidly pursued by dozens of players. And it’s produced a member of the newly-formed U.S. National Blind Hockey Team under the auspices of USA Hockey.… Read the rest “Belding Travels with Hockey Stick All the Way to the First U.S. #BlindHockey team #LivetheLifeYouWant @USAHockey”

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  • Taking It to the Net: CCB There at Start of Blind Hockey in Colorado @USAHockey

    by

    Dan Burke

    CCB students go out on the ice in their hockey gear

    CCB students go out on the ice in their hockey gear

    Back in January the Colorado Avalanche hosted a “Try Hockey” event for prospective blind hockey players. It featured several blind hockey players from across Canada and the United States and was coordinated by USA Hockeyand the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association. Forty-two blind participants, including youth and some,like me, who were much older, took to the ice that day. About half of those participants came from CCB. You can read more about it in this article, Try-Blind-Hockey Day Another Example of How Hockey is for Everyone.

    The goal was to encourage amateur blind hockey in the area. It’s working!… Read the rest “Taking It to the Net: CCB There at Start of Blind Hockey in Colorado @USAHockey”

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  • Recent Newspaper Articles Highlight CCB Partnerships

    by

    Dan Burke

    News Icon

    We wanted to bring your attention to a couple of newspaper articles that appeared in November and brought attention to the Center. Both reflect great partnerships that help us ensure that our students can, as our tag line says, learn to “Take Charge with Confidence and Self-reliance!”

    The first, from November 5, appeared in the Denver Post’s YourHub. It’s about our neighbor and partner, Angel Concept in downtown Littleton. The article isn’t about the Center, but it features one of our students who has been learning job skills there. For a number of years, we’ve counted on Angel Concept to also mentor one of our summer youth in the “Earn & Learn Program”, helping them gain valuable work experience.… Read the rest “Recent Newspaper Articles Highlight CCB Partnerships”

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