On The Path

By Randy Pierce

We have some exciting news and I hope it will entice you to be part of one or both of our biggest annual events.

On Saturday, June 8, 2020 Vision Quest will have a team in the NHAB Tenth Annual Walk for Sight. We had more than 100 people join our team last year as it was a centennial celebration of service by NHAB. We kicked off the very manageable 3K walk from the Concord facilities by walking 100 miles from Concord to the seacoast office and back!

Many walkers came out last year to support Randy after his 100 mile walk.

While we won’t be adding an epic journey to the start of this walk, we do hope to always be taking steps forward. This year we hope to entice an even larger group of friends, family, and supporters of our project to join our team and raise funds for us and NHAB at the same time. What a statement it would be to grow our team as we all walk together to the State House and back!

You can join our team or choose to sponsor a particular walker by going to our Team Home Page.

The event is fantastic in its own right with a barbeque lunch, festive music, and many prizes to go along with our rallying together and spending time as a team. The entrance fee is just $15 for adults, and children under 12 register for only $5. Please visit our page and find more information on the walk itself. We hope you will support us by becoming part of our team directly or through your donation.

Now for the promised incentive. Walkers are always encouraged to raise funds and we’ve had some incredible support from our walkers in the past. This year, we are proud to announce that the top fundraiser on our team will be given the option of a single free ticket or a pair of tickets for the price of one to our November 16 4th Annual Peak Potential Dinner and Auction.

This gala event is our largest fundraiser each year. Last year it sold out, which we hope to repeat this year. The single or pair of tickets one hard working walker will earn will have the option to sit at a table with Tracy, Quinn and me!

This means that by joining us for the very affordable and fun walk event, anyone could become part of our two biggest events and help us continue the quality work we believe we are achieving with our 2020 Vision Quest. Quinn and I are hopeful we’ve enticed you but now the choice is yours — will you be part of our team?

By Beth Foote

A full house at Peak Potential 2012!

On Saturday night we held our 3rd annual Peak Potential Charity Dinner and Auction. This year we had a record turnout of 136 in attendance, far greater than last year, and with over $10,000 worth of donated items for our charity auction. It was a successful event all around, our best yet.

However, the day began on a very somber note. All of the 2020 Vision Quest staff members received an email around noon from Randy telling us that his father had passed away in the small hours of the morning after a long illness. Randy said that the event was still on, and that it would be ok–the thing he needed most from us was our friendship and support. Together, we would get through the day and make the event a success.

Our hearts went out to Randy and Tracy. Given this earthshaking news, I didn’t know what to expect going into the evening. Last year, Peak Potential was a fun and festive night, full of laughter and lightheartedness. I wondered, how would this year be, with Randy and Tracy facing such a difficult burden?

Randy talks with his fraternity brothers from UNH.

I needn’t have worried. Randy and Tracy were buoyed up by the outpouring of support from everyone there. No doubt things were difficult for them, but the atmosphere of the evening was fun, warm, and loving. Randy was greeted by person after person offering good wishes and support. I was floored by the generosity of so many of the patrons of the event, bidding on the array of auction items and urging others to do the same. The spirit of the event was jovial and joyful, and together, our purpose was clear–we were all there to celebrate this crucial mission and make sure it could continue on into the future. We were all in this together.

One of the most wonderful parts of the evening was the contingent of marvelous people there who were raising puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Puppy raisers receive a six-week-old puppy from the program and then raise the tyke up, teaching them household manners, socializing them to be around people and as many different situations in the world as they can.

Banner, the youngest attendee of Peak Potential 2012!

At 18 months old, the young dogs go back to Guiding Eyes for the Blind to undergo a six-month Guide Dog training program. These puppy raisers then go to their dog’s “graduation,” sending them off into the world to become a Guide for a someone suffering from vision loss. After raising these dogs, many go back and take another puppy and start the process all over again.

Many of these remarkable puppy raisers had brought their young dogs with them to the dinner. The youngest I saw was an adorable nine-week old German shepherd named Banner–I’m sure I’m not the only one who wanted to scoop him up and take him home.

Having so many of these dogs there helped to demonstrate in a very physical way organization’s mission. One of the most touching moments for me was when Chrissy Vetrano, Quinn’s trainer at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, talked to the audience about how Quinn had been the first dog that she had trained, and told the story of how difficult it was to give him up, worrying about whether he and Randy would be the right fit, whether he would be happy, etc.

At a crucial moment in their final walk, Quinn looked up at Chrissy with a look that clearly said, “Mom, I got this.” It was at that moment Chrissy knew she was doing the right thing. When she brought Quinn to give to Randy, Quinn bounded into the room to greet Randy and instantly she could tell from seeing them together that they would do great thing–more than either could have done on his own. And so they have.

Together Quinn and Randy have accomplished so much and have made a difference to so many who have heard their story. Guiding Eyes for the Blind has provided many Guide Dogs who have opened up their owners’ worlds to a greater degree of freedom and independence.

The contingent in attendance from Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Chrissy’s moving presentation reinforced how important this mission was. Guiding Eyes and the New Hampshire Association for the Blind both help form an essential community of support and resources for people with vision loss. Together, all of us in attendance celebrated and rallied around this important cause. I know I for one have come away with a new enthusiasm for this mission and for this community of people.

We at 2020 Vision Quest depend on the support of our community to accomplish our mission–not only through donations, but through actions, and emotional support. I am heartened and happy at how generous, caring, and supportive this community is. On Saturday night, Randy and Tracy felt the benefit of this community of support in their own especially poignant way.

We look forward to what this year has to bring for 2020 Vision Quest. Randy plans to finish hiking the summer 48 in 2013, and to reach many many more students with his message of “Achieving a Vision Beyond Your Sight.” What else the future brings, only time will tell–but we have an amazing community of people who are all coming along for the ride.

Our big fundraising event of the year, Peak Potential, is coming up in two weeks. We hope to see you there! But whether you can make it or not, you can still help us out by bidding on our amazing auction items. We have the items up on our site and are currently accepting bids. 100% of all auction proceeds go to 2020 Vision Quest.

We’ve got a wide variety of great items for sale–from VIP Revolution tickets to a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to a party for 20 of your nearest and dearest friends and more! You have less than two weeks to get in on the action and you don’t want to miss out.

Here’s how it works:

The online auction is open now and runs until 11:00 PM on Thursday, November 15 – two days before Peak Potential. The highest bid entered at closing time will become the starting bid for silent auction items onsite. If you are not attending the event, you’ll want to enter your absolute highest bid for the best chance of winning.

A number of our items are “live auction” items, which will be bid on at the event itself. (These are marked on the website.) We have two options available to bid on these items. If you’re comfortable with others seeing your highest bid, feel free to enter it online. Or you can email Rachel Morris, our event coordinator, and let her know your highest bid. We’ll have one of our staff act as a proxy bidder on your behalf during the auction (we will not contact you during the auction if you are outbid). If you do not receive a confirmation reply email by Friday, November 16, assume we did not receive your bid.

If you are the winner of either a silent auction item or a live auction item, we will contact you within a week of the event to settle payment and determine delivery of your items.

Again, the main auction site can be found here.

Please note that bidding on the online auction is a commitment to pay.

Thanks for your continuing support! Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Best wishes,
The 2020 Vision Quest staff

By Randy Pierce

Quinn in a coy moment.

Autumn is sneaking into the air and the fall season brought some big news to the 2020 VQ team of Quinn lovers. The trainer who taught Quinn at Guiding Eyes will be joining us for the Peak Potential Charity Event and sharing her part of the experience of this incredible career. She took Quinn in from his puppy-raising and helped guide him to the skills which eventually led to our team pairing in 2006, just before his second birthday–a birthday he happens to share with her.

His trainer has tremendous insight into his development as well as the progress Quinn and I made to earn our way to graduation. Those attending our Peak Potential event will have quite a treat and so will the Mighty Quinn as he has the opportunity to greet his trainer after six years.

Ambitious, even as a puppy!

In appreciation of this news, I thought I’d share a couple of Quinn stories worthy of telling. Not long after Tracy and I had begun climbing mountains together, she found the journal created by Quinn’s puppy raiser. On the back cover was a treasure made all the more powerful by the fact that we had already begun climbing without knowing it existed. It was a picture of Quinn sitting next to a flight of stairs with the handwritten caption, “Stairs… I want to climb mountains!”

Keeping with the stairs theme, Quinn and I were at the University of New Hampshire discussing with Brent Bell the possibility of me starting to join the Outdoor Education programs hikes in the White Mountains. Stepping off of what I distractedly thought was the curb Quinn had shown me, I was soon in a scramble down a flight of stairs!

The University had built an addition to a location I thought I knew well and this long cement staircase could have led to a severe injury and early end to hiking. While I flailed and stumbled down the steps, Quinn reacted quickly and kept pace enough to ensure I had just enough harness pressure to keep to my feet. Gasping for breath in heart-pounding panic, I miraculously stood on my feet at the bottom, barely aware of how I had not taken a severe injury inducing fall. Quinn meanwhile wagged mightily and gave his little hop of excitement to reassure me that he was there to keep me safe!

While I didn’t fall for Quinn then, I had indeed “fallen” mightily for him back in Yorktown Heights when we had been matched as a team! Through the years, he’s managed to reach a lot of people with his attitude and accomplishments. Perhaps you’ll share a story or two of your experience with Quinn directly, or even from just following his legendary life!

What a friendly fella!

By Randy Pierce

On November 17, 2012, we’ll hold our third Peak Potential Annual Charity Dinner and Auction at the Derryfield in Manchester, NH. This event is crucial to help us continue in our mission. In this, our third year of 2020 Vision Quest, we’ve achieved historic milestones, and we couldn’t have done it without the support given by our community of friends, sponsors, and the incredible efforts of our team! We invite you to the Derryfield for a third year to help us celebrate in this year’s evening of accomplishment, always with a vision towards the achievements ahead for the benefit of all who need it.

While I believe the 2020 Vision Quest website provides an excellent resource for our mission and the adventures that highlight that message, I’d like to take a moment and add my own personal note on why I so proudly believe in the need for our work.

Randy and Quinn give one of their many school presentations.

In this year of incredible accomplishment, I am most proud to share that we have reached more than 15,000 students at schools throughout New England since our inception in July of 2010. In fact, at the first presentation in the fall will very likely reach hit the 16,000-student mark! The message in our presentations is always customized for each school, depending on the needs of that community. Most often the central themes are:

• Ability Awareness
• Believing in Possibility
• Goal Setting
• Problem Solving on the Path to Achieving through Adversity

Our presentations reach many community groups such as the Lions and Rotary and have included a significant number of corporate presentations, which helps fiscally support the 2020 Vision Quest charitable efforts. All of these efforts we have steadily increased the range of opportunities that we have to impact the lives of people of all ages.

Randy presenting a check for $10,000!

All net funds raised by our project are split between the New Hampshire Association for the Blind and Guiding Eyes for the Blind. This past June at the conclusion of our 100-mile walk across New Hampshire, we provided each organization with a check for $10,000.00 in our continued demonstration of support.

Most of these benefits we give back to the community would be nearly impossible without our Peak Potential fundraiser each year. Not only is it a chance to celebrate the historic accomplishments of the past year while looking forward to the promise of the year ahead, but it provides the biggest means of support for our efforts throughout the year.

So we urge you to attend! Buy a table of 8 by Labor Day and get the absolute best value we can provide while ensuring the future of 2020 Vision Quest. I’ll be crafting a special presentation along with a video montage by the 2020 Vision Quest staff as we review all of the accomplishments of the year and what we hope to achieve ahead. The Derryfield dinner promises to be incredibly delicious as always, and the live auction has always provided many laughs to go along with the benefit of raising money for a good cause. Our silent auction invariably sends many people home with great bargains and an appreciation for the many who contribute to the evening’s success. A little music and dancing will round out the evening, and I’ll have the chance to personally thank and socialize with our guests for the night.

Randy, Tracy, Quinn get down on the dance floor at last year's Peak Potential.

There several other ways to participate, even if you can’t make it for the evening. Consider taking advantage of our four levels of Sponsorship Opportunity. We’re also still looking for donations of services and items to the auction. Perhaps you can share this blog post or our website with friends, family, or companies–after all, our community of support is the most valuable partnership we can ever have.

Whatever the means you feel inclined and able to help, we urge you to do it! The 2020 Vision Quest team works hard in all our efforts, but we couldn’t achieve so much and give so much back to the community without this event and people like yourself who participate in the Peak Potential in some way. You help to bring us ever closer to the remarkable vision we strive for.

Thank you for your consideration and I hope to share the evening with many of you on November 17!

Be Well!
Randy & the Mighty Quinn

By Beth Foote

When Randy first spoke to me back in August about working on the 2020 Vision Quest website, I must admit that I didn’t know a whole lot about the organization. I wish I could say that I had a love of hiking or that the cause of blindness was near and dear to my heart, but neither was especially true at the time.

What I did have was a deep respect and admiration for Randy, who had been my friend for almost ten years. Ever since I had known him, I was inspired by his unwillingness to let blindness keep him from living a fulfilling life. So I was flattered and honored that he would approach me to be involved in his charitable efforts. I had been looking for new challenges outside of the workplace where I could use my writing and editing experience, and this opportunity seemed a perfect fit. I accepted gladly.

Randy tells the crowd about the work Team 2020 has done in 2011.

But it was Saturday, November 12 that I finally felt that I was a full member of Team 2020. That night, I attended 2020 Vision Quest’s annual “Peak Potential” fundraising dinner. The general feeling of the evening was lighthearted and jovial, a fun get-together of many good friends and acquaintances for a good cause. There was a wide collection of auction items generously donated by vendors in the area which were eagerly bid upon by the attendees. For me, though, the highlight of the evening was Randy’s short presentation about the work they had done and why it was important. It crystallized a lot of what I have been learning over the last few months and I came away with a renewed enthusiasm for the project.

The purpose of 2020 Vision Quest is multi-faceted. Yes, at its core it revolves around a blind man hiking all 48 4,000+-foot peaks in New Hampshire by 2020. Randy shared with us that he and the 2020VQ team hiked 17 peaks in 2011, and unveiled his plan to hike another 17 mountains in 2012.

However, the hiking is really a catalyst to promote the goal of outreach and increasing awareness for the cause of blindness. Randy told us that right now in the United States there are 4.4 million people suffering from blindness or serious vision impairment. By 2020, it’s projected that there will be 30 to 32 million. As the Baby Boom generation ages and suffers macular degeneration and related ailments, they will be in need of more and more services for the blind. Turning people’s awareness to the cause now is crucial.

I can think of no one more suited to speak to anyone who will listen–children and adults alike–about not letting your limitations get in the way of achieving your goals than Randy Pierce. He serves as a stunning example of someone who lives this philosophy every day of his life. Through his speaking engagements, Randy has presented to 10,000 students since embarking on this quest. He plans to keep adding to the list–he asked, why not shoot for 48,000 students?

Randy cited an inspiring quote last night that drives his approach to life:

“People will forget what you say and what you do, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou

A full house listens to Randy's presentation.

I hope that as the children who hear Randy’s words grow up, they will remember how it made them feel to realize that their dreams didn’t seem so impossible after all. I hope they will carry that feeling with them as they run into difficulties in their lives that seem insurmountable–that they will say, “I know I can do this–I just need to figure out how.”

As Randy described on Saturday, 2020 Vision Quest needs your help. Donations, of course, are always appreciated, but beyond financial support, Randy spoke of the importance of community in making this charity successful. Talk about us–tell your friends and coworkers, send us notes of your support, read our blog, or follow us on Facebook and other social media. Talk to your child’s school principal or your workplace about engaging Randy to speak, which he will do at no cost. Spread awareness in any way you can.

That is the main message that I took away from the Peak Potential dinner: a strong community is essential to our success. And the more success we have in our goals, the more benefit there will be to a much larger community.

I’m proud to say that now, even though I knew little about the organization coming in, I feel a part of this community. This is a feeling I know I will remember long after I have forgotten what was said or what I did on Saturday. I hope you will join our community with your support for this important cause and share in this feeling, too. I’m glad I did!

Quinn, Randy, and Tracy get down on the dance floor!

It is time to buy tickets and tables for this year’s Peak Potential Charity Dinner and Auction event for November 12, 2011! This is our primary fund raising event for the year. The success of this event ensures our ability to provide our inspirational presentations to an expected 10,000 students in the year 2011 and many more going forward.

This is our Second Annual Peak Potential event and I wanted to share my personal reflections on last year, this year, and specifically how much the event means to me. There’s an old adage which says “I can’t hear what you are saying because what you’re doing is too loud!” I’ve invested a tremendous amount of my energy into the 2020 Vision Quest so that my actions may hopefully provide the very positive impact I espouse. I am fortunate to frequently hear many words of thanks and encouragement for my effort and the progress of our charity. These words inspire me and I remain very grateful for them. This event provides an opportunity for many people to take action and help us continue to reach our goals. I urge all of you to consider buying a ticket for the event, sharing the news of our event, and bringing more people into the 2020 Vision Quest Community by all the means reasonable for each of you.

There was uncertainty last year as our first event grew near. A surprisingly positive response from friends old and new yielded us a great initial success. As I stepped up to the podium amidst the lively sounds of a fun event, I could not help but appreciate the many volunteers who work directly and indirectly to have brought us so far in our first year. It was a tremendous amount of work for all those involved and we had clearly made significant progress. However, all of our efforts still required the support of our community both local and remote for this to continue. The generous support of those attending and donating throughout the first year absolutely gave us that support and it was indeed a season of success.

From Left to Right: Randy, The Mighty Quinn, John E. Swenson, Colleen M. Elliott, Mary Beth S. White

Now our first full year is behind us and we are facing the significant challenges of a second season. We have accomplished far more already in this new year. We are nearly half way through “the 48” summits which encouraged the start of our charity and have gained considerable publicity for our programs and presentations. We have made several partnerships such as our first sponsor for Peak Potential, Laconia Savings Bank. We have put together a great team to ensure this event truly is reaching for Peak excellence and as any charity must, we need to encourage our friends, family, co-workers and community to join our efforts. This night is an excellent means for giving that support while enjoying a great night of entertainment, friendship, inspiration, motivation and more. I hope you’ll join us for this evening and this opportunity!

You can find out more information about this event here or find us on Facebook.

by Rachel Morris

It’s not too early to save the date (and buy your tickets) for this year’s Peak Potential Charity Dinner & Auction, in celebration of 2020 Vision Quest’s 2011 season.

Peak Potential 2010 was a huge success for us and this year promises to be even bigger and better! We’re returning to The Derryfield in Manchester, NH, with its beautiful views of the Derryfield Country Club, on Saturday, November 12. We kick off the event with hors d’oeuvres and a preview of our auction items at 6:30pm, with dinner seating at 7:00pm. Festivities run until 11:00pm. Ticket prices are $100 each, or $175 per couple. For the best price, you and seven friends can grab a table of your own for $600 ($75 per person).

Last year’s menu was popular enough that we’re sticking with it – you have a choice of Pan Roasted Salmon, Cranberry Walnut Chicken, Prime Rib, or a vegetarian Spinach Stuffed Tomato. There’s a cash bar available and we’ll have DJ Will Utterback returning to keep things hopping with music from the 60’s to today.

Peak Potential 2010, courtesy of Green Photography: http://green-photography.net/

Our auction includes numerous silent auction items and a few special “package” deals that will be bid on in a live auction during the dinner, with Randy (and Quinn) as our auctioneers. If you or your business has something to donate for the auction, let us know. Some of our most sought after items are event tickets, travel related items, meals at a favorite restaurant, spa services, and so on. Not sure if it’s right for us? Ask!
Randy will give a presentation covering some of 2020 Vision Quest’s most memorable moments of the 2011 season, including the following:
•       The mountains summited this year
•       Quinn’s momentous Tug-of-War victory over Patriot star Tedy Brushy at the top of the Belknaps
•       What it means to be able to speak to area children about achieving through adversity
…and more.

All these things have been possible with the generosity of our donors, and through fundraising events such as this one. Buy your tickets online or by mailing a check to us at 2020 Vision Quest, 109 E. Glenwood Street, Nashua, NH  03060 (be sure to tell us it’s for Peak Potential and let us know your meal choices). Join us in this year’s celebration!

by Kara Minotti Becker

When I’m asked to take charge of a thing – whatever thing – my first reaction is probably similar to everyone else’s. I’m flattered. I feel important, like my opinion matters and my expertise is valued. It’s a good feeling.

And like most others, I assume that because I’m in charge, I’m, well – in charge. You know. If there are things to be done, I’ll do them – or be the one to ask others to. If there are questions, I’m expected to have answers. When there are problems, I’ll be the one to solve them. I also immediately start feeling the pressure – like I better have this thing wired, at least I better look like I do! People are handing me the reins. They’re counting on me. I better not need help, or not know a thing, or be unsure about a decision. I better be perfect.

Let me tell you, this is a mistake I’ve made a thousand times. When Randy and Carrie asked me to lead the Madison-Adams trip over the July 4^th weekend, I did it again. I’ve often wondered how many times you have to learn a lesson before you stop forgetting it. Apparently in this case, at least one more time.

Leading a trip like this is a big responsibility under any circumstances. But when it’s your dear friends you’re taking into the wilds of the White Mountains, and especially when one of them is counting on you to deliver the next success in his excellent and worthy cause, you don’t want to make mistakes. You want to be – or at least seem – perfect. So when I was asked, I immediately began planning to be just that. But I’ve noticed that the same thing happens every time you make this mistake.

You overlook the most valuable resource you ever have at your disposal: your team.

When you try to have all the answers, you don’t get the benefit of the experience, creativity, and different point of view that others can provide. What a waste!

This dawned on me a few weeks back when I was asking Carrie, the 2020 hiking manager, for her advice on trails and terrain on Madison and Adams. She gave me a huge amount of useful information, insight, and advice. But I suddenly realized there was someone else I should be asking: Randy. Randy spends more time hiking mountains, researching hiking mountains, thinking about hiking mountains (and maybe good-naturedly cursing about hiking mountains) than any of the rest of us put together. He’s more an expert than I am by far at this point. So why wasn’t I asking him?

There I was, making that same old mistake. I didn’t want to seem like I wasn’t a proper leader – the expert with all the answers. Ah, ego. You’re never far away, are you?

Luckily, as I mentioned, I’ve made this mistake before, and now I know just what to do. It’s easy – all you have to do is drop the pretense and ask questions. Go to your team, and ask away. How should we do this? What do you think of that? This is my idea – do you have a different one? It’s amazing how much better your plans will be, but more to the point, how much better you and your team will be when you approach things this way. You relieve the pressure on yourself. Your team feels empowered and involved. Everyone develops a sense of humor, and the understanding that we’re not perfect, but together, we’ll figure things out as best we can.

So that’s what I did – I called Randy and started asking questions. As we talked I realized there was so much we could cover, and it was so much fun to do so, that we really should get together to do it (which we are, this Friday in fact – which means I get to talk to Tracy too!) This week, I’ll be bugging the rest of the team about their ideas, concerns and suggestions for the trip. Now that I’ve learned this lesson again for probably the 397^th time, I’m really looking forward to it!

I’ve always passionately believed that true leadership comes from below – as support, encouragement, and enablement – not from above, as disconnected (if well-intentioned) instruction. But you can see how that latter happens. When we’re asked to take charge, we want to live up to the compliment and be worthy of the trust. The real key is what we do next as a leader. In the end, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn this lesson again. Maybe this is the last time I’ll have to.

But probably not.

by Randy Pierce

Finally, we take a break from our many hiking topics and address a common question. Do the challenges of it all overwhelm me? Many see the outward signs as me sustaining a steady positive, and they often presume that I’m either putting on a show or never overwhelmed. For the most part, neither is true. I am absolutely aware and buffeted by the challenges. It is my choice to take on these challenges directly and reach a resolution, or at least a plan for such immediately. This philosophy keeps me from letting the sustained weight of such a load wear me down, but it does not prevent frustrations as I deal with it. I’m well aware that I do not hold a monopoly on challenge, yet I am also aware that my problems are not inconsequential. For me, the trick is in defining the real issue up front and thereby allowing for real problem solving, and an acceptance that change is often a necessary aspect of removing a present concern.

In its simplistic form, there are mornings when I wake up and think, “Yeah, I’m still blind; can’t I ever get a break?”, and I view this as a natural and acceptable way to feel – but it really isn’t the key. The root of the issue is most likely a need to travel somewhere or utilize my time more carefully as many tasks may take longer. Whatever the frustration is that led to that thought, it is more about what my blindness is making more difficult. With steps and a plan, anything can usually be resolved, even if the resolution may involve reaching out for help.

On a more complex level, it is generally understood that the feeling of controlling our situation gives us comfort and eases frustration. I may not be able to control my blindness for now, but I can significantly impact most of the ways that this challenge impacts me. Learning to apply that lesson to all aspects of our lives can make a significant difference.

Our 2020 Vision Quest team is accomplishing some tremendous things. In the process, the work can be very challenging and can seem to spin a bit out of control. It’s actually one of the hardest aspects of my present life – to manage the caring people of team 2020 along with the other responsibilities of running a charity. The reality is that these things are not out of control, though there are real needs that must be given proper attention. While these challenges contribute to my most recent and pressing feeling of being overwhelmed, I continue to try and take my own advice. I guess we’ll see how well it works as we progress, but in the meanwhile, maybe some of you might be thinking that you have some time and skills to offer us in strengthening our mission. How about an email?

I’d like to close this blog post with a quote from the person for whom Mt. Hale was named. I hope to always have the same success with his quote as I did with his mountain:

“I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” ~Edward Everett Hale