(Editor’s Note: Colorado Gives Day seems like a great time to share this. Sam Barasso graduated from the Center in February of 2014. She’s working at a part-time job and getting ready to return to college. This Face Book post reminded us all that blindness isn’t what holds us back – what holds us back is sometimes a lack of skills, and always a lack of confidence in ourselves as blind people. It’s why we do what we do at the Center and in the National Federation of the Blind.)

Day 21 of the 30 people I’m thankful for in 30 days goes to the amazing staff at the Colorado Center for the Blind. You guys have become like family. You’ve seen me through many lows and many highs and you never gave up on me. I appreciate that more than I can tell you. You do so much for everyone who steps through those doors and learns from you and you never stop teaching us, even after we’re students.

You teach us so much more than just the subjects you’re required to, you teach us valuable life lessons and you help us all out in so many ways.

Editor’s Note: What follows is excerpted from an August 6, 2014 blog post of The Blind Coloradan, the official blog of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado. An Arizona high school student, Christian Able was a student this summer and worked 40 hours for the NFBCO staff. Here’s his reflection on the summer program at the Center and his work with the NFB of Colorado.

Stepping on that plane a month ago I thought everything would be easy and I wouldn’t learn anything this summer. That’s not the case at all. I would say the sleep shades helped me see. At my school I learn a lot about living successfully as a blind individual, but coming here has been a whole other experience.

Students at @cocenter4blind got a chance to experience science in all its disgusting glory.

By Ramsey Scott
November 18, 2014
Columbine Courier

“Yucks!” blended with yucks as the students probed the stomach contents of the dogfish sharks they were dissecting

“I found a claw,” said one student, as he waved miniature pincers in the air.

“I found a fish,” another student said as she held high a half-digested fish body.

A biology class cutting open a formaldehyde-soaked animal isn’t necessarily a unique event. Yet for most of the class at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton on Nov. 14, it was their first chance to experience what most students take for granted.

“This is my first time doing anything like this. It’s really interesting and a little nasty,” said Nick Crowell, 17, a student at the Colorado Springs-based Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind who came to Littleton for the class. “It’s interesting because we get to see how similar humans are to some animals. And they’re letting us use sharp instruments, and we don’t really get to do that.”

… or just do it now and schedule it for Tuesday!

December 9 is just two days away, and it’s Colorado Gives Day! Once a year Coloradoans support their favorite nonprofits with an annual gift … or a recurring gift. We are thankful to you for all your previous support, and as the holidays approach we ask that you think of us one more time on Colorado’s largest one-day online giving event.

You don’t have to wait till Tuesday though. You can go to our Center’s giving page and schedule your donation to post on December 9th.

Maybe after church this morning and before the Broncos game this afternoon?

By clicking on the Give on December 9 button, you still add to our one-day total that qualifies us for a portion of this year’s $1 million incentive fund!

The Center’s own “Breaking Bad” YouTube star, Maureen, talks about the Center and Colorado Gives Day in her latest video … you wish you were there!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

On Monday, November 24 we had a tremendous opportunity to share our message and our purpose on Denver’s 9News during five very short, but absolutely live, segments of “Where in the Town” with morning news anchor Gregg Moss.

Gregg got what we at the Center are about. He and our five featured instructors made it clear that we teach not just skills, but confidence, with the goal being independence and self-sufficiency.

It’s one more thing that the Colorado Center for the Blind has to be thankful for this year, and we want to share the link. Maureen, Chip, Tom, Chris & Mo were awesome! So was Gregg on the chop saw!

9News Video: Helping the Blind Lead Independent Lives

Our FAST Saturdays program for youth will meet the second Saturday of each month and involve a variety of activities. FAST stands for FUN ACTIVITIES and SKILLS TRAINING

We at the Center are excited about new or strengthened collaborations with Rocky Mountain Goal Ball, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR in Boulder is sometimes referred to as NCAR), and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Sports, STEM, and the arts it’s just the balance we’re seeking with our FAST Saturdays!

RSVP to Brent Batron 303-778-1130 x 222 or bbatron@cocenter.org

Saturday September 13 – Rocky Mountain Goal ball

2 – 6 pm

Come and learn the sport of Goal ball with Matt Simpson, para-Olympic goal ball star

Goal ball will be played Saturdays at the Colorado Center for the Blind nearly every week this fall!! A complete schedule will follow shortly.

Saturday October 11 – FAST Saturday Science

10 am – 2 pm

(Mosaic, our 2014 fund-raising event, will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, September 5 here at the Center. We’re especially excited out our main musical guests, Café Americana, and we want you to be excited too! Here’s a bit more about them, and don’t forget to buy your tickets using the link on this page!)

We’ve captured a few strays from the Denver area acoustic roots band Stray Dog: Eric Woods, Zac Cottrell & Anne and Joe Rigley. From numerous original songs, acoustic interpretations of classic rock tunes, 1940’s jazz standards, all the way to bluegrass and blues, they put their own mark on a broad, eclectic mix of music. Eric’s unique touch on the guitar over Joe’s classy bass backs Anne’s remarkably sweet, pure and honest voice, all while riding Zac’s magical percussion on the Cajón.

Audiences consistently remark that the unique hallmark of this group is their ability to make you feel as if you are sitting around the coffee table with them in the basement making music, with as much focus on enjoying the music as playing it.

Colorado artist Ann Cunningham has been teaching art to blind students at the Center since … well, it feels like she’s always been with us! That’s why we’re excited to spread the word. For the next two weekends, Ann will be demonstrating stone carving at the Denver Art Museum as part of their weekend artist demonstrations. We’re reposting some of the info explaining what that’s all about from DAM’s web site. If you want to find out what other artist demonstrations are coming up, follow the link.

Sculpture Studio and Weekend Artist Demonstrations

Every day the museum is open, visitors can explore the creative process behind assorted techniques and mediums in the Sculpture Studio.

Every weekend, visitors will have a chance to pull back the curtain and immerse themselves in the artistic process as local artists demonstrate a variety of sculpting techniques.

Weekend demonstrations will take place Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 pm.

August 23 & 24, 30 & 31: Ann Cunningham — Stone Carving (outdoors on Martin Plaza)

An Evening of Art, Cuisine and Entertainment

Purchase Tickets for Mosaic

Tickets are just $30, $10 for children under 12.

Proceeds benefit the programs at the Colorado Center for the Blind. From youth to seniors, we teach our students that blindness is just a characteristic. It’s all about confidence!

Join us at the Center:

Friday, September 5th
5:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Taste a wide selection of foods from some of Littleton’s best restaurants. Learn how blind students create sculpture and stone carvings, and how they build a final project in woodshop.

Pick up some basics in Braille.

Cap off the evening with Cafe Americana’s own blend of American roots music – everything from jazz, bluegrass and folk to originals!