Utah State University - » Car wash cause: Scholarships for blind students

Car wash cause: Scholarships for blind students

April 2nd, 2010 Posted in Opinion

By Cathy Morgan

LOGAN–The National Federation of the Blind’s chapter in Logan will be holding a fund-raising car wash at Deseret Industries April 17 from noon to 4 p.m. The funds will go towards scholarships for visually impaired applicants.

Sachin Pavithran, Logan NFB chapter leader, stated that this is just one small event of many that he is hoping will raise between $150 and $200. The chapter’s goal is to raise $1,000 for this year.

“Our community is so small,” Pavithran said, “but this money goes to helping visually impaired and blind people get the technology they need.”

The chapter tries to hold two to three fund-raising events a year. “We try to have more but there is always a lack of interest, it’s a struggle,” Pavithran said.

Nationally, the NFB will be giving out 30 scholarships this summer. The lowest will begin at $3,000 and the highest to be awarded will be up to $12,000.

“People have low expectations of the blind” Ron Gardner, president of the NFB of Utah, remarked. “Things like washing cars and having a good time doing it lets people see that the blind want to be seen as normal.

“Blind people have the same hopes and dreams of getting a college education and getting a job,” he said.

Pavithran expressed that getting visually impaired people the required technology for the same schooling everyone else gets; these scholarships help with the high expenses.

“We are such a small group, the hardest part is just getting the word out,” Gardner said.

Things are tough right now in our society, Pavithran stated, but any type of help will be appreciated.

If anyone is interested in giving a donation for the Logan chapter, please contact Sachin Pavithran at 435-512-6877.

NW

Tags: blind, car wash, scholarships