This week, February 4-10, is recognized across Canada as White Cane Week. Locally, Mayor Ron Toyota signed the declaration recently on behalf of the Town of Creston.
The declaration states that “the objective of White Cane Week is to provide education and awareness of vision loss to British Columbians through a network of special events and hands-on demonstrations throughout the province,” and that it “has evolved to reflect the changing situations of community and has begun to emphasize the equal capabilities and talents of people who are blind or partially sighted.”
White Cane Week also marks the 75th anniversary of the Canadian Council of the Blind, Canada’s largest membership-based organization of the blind, with 85 chapters across Canada. In Creston, Darren Douma and Ruth Bieber have been actively promoting the week as members of the local CCB-VIBE chapter.
Douma, a top-rated blind golfer, has been busy organizing three championship golf events in the province this summer, including one here in Creston. He and chapter members will be fundraising with hot dog sales at Creston’s grocery stores on Friday and Saturday.
“White Cane Week gives CCB an opportunity to get the word out there, while also still celebrating our abilities, rather than our disabilities,” Douma said last week.
Bieber, featured in an Advance story last week, will be presenting her one-woman multi-media production, To See or Not to See: Homecoming. The show will be presented on Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 3 pm at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $15 for seniors and $10 for students ages 16 and up only—no children, please.
“Creston’s CCB-VIBE Chapter is thrilled to be promoting the performance arts in addition to blind golf in Creston during our White Cane Week promotions and CCB’s 75th Anniversary,” Douma said.