2nd Annual Dining in the Dark - April 9 2011

Bosma Enterprises is inviting you to join us for Dining in the Dark. At Dining in the Dark, you will have the opportunity to support Bosma Enterprises while enjoying a delicious meal at the Conrad Hotel, Indianapolis.

“While enjoying an elegant meal at a five star hotel, individuals get the opportunity to understand the need for services offered at Bosma Enterprises,” says Kara Fox, Senior Development Associate and Events Coordinator at Bosma Enterprises.

More than just stylish dining and friends, Dining in the Dark has a unique but heartfelt edge. “All gifts go towards benefiting our programs,” says Kara. “Every bit of it goes back to the Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation, creating more opportunities for those who are blind or visually impaired.” The Bosma Rehabilitation Center, The Community-Based Itinerant Rehabilitation Teaching (IRT) Program, Senior Services, The Community Employment Placement Program, and The STEP Program will all benefit from the proceeds from this exciting event.

Guests will be pampered with cocktails and delicious appetizers as they browse a selection of exclusive silent auction items. In it’s second year, Dining in the Dark has added a glamorous twist to this evening of events. For the ladies, and of course the men, a Diamond Dig will be available for those who think they have a knack for finding buried treasures. Bosma Enterprises is also adding an extra educational twist. By including informational stations stimulating the different stages of disease in the eyes as well as different mobility techniques, Bosma Enterprises hopes to better educate not only the sighted community, but also the blind and visually impaired.

By Dining in the Dark, you will leave knowing you helped put a dent in 70% unemployment rate among adults who are blind or visually impaired. Interested parties should contact Kara Fox, Senior Development Associate and Events Coordinator at karaf@bosma.org or by phone at (317).704.8294 for more information about sponsorships, silent auction donations, and table reservations.

For more information: 2nd Annual Dining in the Dark 2011

Dining in the Dark 2010

Elegant cocktail dresses and chic tuxedoes filed into the esteemed Conrad Hotel Saturday, June 26th to partake in Indianapolis’s introduction to Dining in the Dark.  Dining in the Dark is a fundraiser designed to benefit The Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation, an organization with the purpose of providing support for programs and services for people who are blind or visually impaired offered by Bosma Enterprises.

During the event, guests perused through a remarkable silent auction as they enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in patient anticipation of the main attraction…a full three-course meal in complete darkness. Dining in the Dark allowed participants the opportunity to experience a meal in the darkness while encouraging them to actively engage in programs and services at Bosma Enterprises. This event is the first of what is to become an annual fundraiser.

1st Impressions
Dining in the Dark has been such a meaningful and educational experience for me. It is my first time participating in a fundraising event in the United States and I am privileged to have attended an event that was such great success.

The event was extraordinary and little details reflected the hard work of the Bosma staff. Among all of the amazing experiences from the evening, the dinner— the actual dining in the dark – touched me deeply.  In the dinner, I had to put a sleep shade on to cover my eyes and all the lights were dim. I remembered that when I was eating my salad, I came across something that was difficult to cut with my knife. It took a long time for me cutting to figure out what it was until, finally, I just used my finger. It was my dinner roll! I then understood how frustrated it must be to adjust or re-adjust to daily life for people who are blind or visually impaired.  Small facets of life like eating, washing dishes, and going to work are big deals for people who are blind or visually impaired. The parts of life that we often take for granted are time-consuming and difficult for people who are blind and visually impaired if they have not received vocational therapy.

 Every day, I am really amazed by what Bosma is doing and how important the Visionary Foundation is. Not only does Bosma provide rehabilitation therapy across the state of Indiana, they also are a source of employment for those who are blind. Bosma’s employees are so optimistic and determined about accomplishing their work. As Bosma’s CEO, Lou Moneymaker, has mentioned, the most important thing is to provide people who are blind or visually impaired with an opportunity to work and they will prove to you how good they are. I believe that Dining in the Dark is just another way that Bosma helps show the community how exceptional people who are blind or visually impaired are.