Dozens 'dine in the dark' to benefit visually impaired in Berks County, Pa.
"It's just a small snippet of what someone with vision loss goes through," president and CEO of the Vision Resource Center said.
BERN TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Dozens of people attended a special dinner in Berks County, Pennsylvania that benefitted the visually impaired.
The Berkshire Country Club, in Bern Township, hosted the "Dine in the Dark" event Thursday night.
Diners were blindfolded so they experienced what it was like to maneuver a meal without their vision.
Proceeds from the event go to the Vision Resource Center of Berks County and the Kutztown University Visual Impairment Program.
"It's just a small snippet of what someone with vision loss goes through," Lori Schermerhorn, president and CEO of the Vision Resource Center of Berks County, told WFMZ-TV.
"People don't realize the things that we take for granted, our everyday life, what we use our vision for," Schermerhorn added.
Organizers said "Dine in the Dark" is a chance for people to put themselves in a blind person's shoes, even for just an hour.
"For them, it's everyday life," David Meas, a Vision Resource Center of Berks County board member, said, "and the things that they have to learn to do without that sense is just unbelievable."
One attendee of the event, 8-year-old Paisley Conrad, is a musician. She is also blind.
"I play the piano, and I take piano lessons," Conrad said.
"I hope that they understand, that just because you lose your vision or have a low vision, that you are still able to be part of society and be independent," Schermerhorn said.
