The Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision raised a record breaking $177,600 at their 6th Annual Dining in the Dark held at the Enmarket Arena on Thursday, January 26th. With 400 supporters, the signature event featured Savannah Police Department’s SWAT Team Sgt. Phillip Collard and 25 SWAT team members using night vision technology to escort guests into the arena and then serve dinner in complete darkness.

SCBLV’s Director of Development Lesley Eatherly states, “Having Enmarket Arena host us gave us the opportunity to sell an extra 120 tickets for an all time record of 400 guests. The event offered guests a peek into an unfamiliar world of total blindness and helped them to discover a new, deeper understanding of vision loss. Dining in the Dark would not have been possible without community leaders like Oak View Group, Enmarket, Step One Automotive Group, WJCL, JIT, Georgia Eye Institute and Charles C. Taylor and Samir Nikocevic Charitable Foundation, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Gulfstream, Pat Mathis Construction Co. and Queensborough Bank.”

“Elated at the success of this year’s Dining in the Dark, we will use these funds to purchase low vision aids like hand held magnifiers, glasses, white canes for safety training, a CCTV - a closed circuit tv that magnifies books to independent living skills training in the Low Vision Clinic. The great thing about us - we meet the individual goals of our students whether it’s preparing a meal, using their smart devices or walking freely in the community with their white cane,” concludes SCBLV Executive Director Lois Modell.