Dinner in the Dark explores a world without sight

The Pahrump Valley Lions Club ventured into an all-new event this year, Dinner in the Dark, and though it was something of a last-minute occasion, club members were highly pleased with the turnout.

“I think, just from looking around the room that night, that everyone had a good time!” Pahrump Lion Marcia Newyear told the Pahrump Valley Times.

Dinner in the Dark was hosted on Saturday, June 27 in honor of what would have been the 146th birthday of vision and hearing-impaired advocate and champion Helen Keller, whose life’s mission has become a core part of what the International Lions Club is all about. Known as her ‘Knights of the Blind”, the Lions have spent decades helping those with limited vision and the local club is just as active in that arena.

“If somebody is low-income and they are having a hard time going out and getting their eyes examined and they need glasses, we will pay for it,” Pahrump Lion Carmen Taylor explained. “We pay up to $200 toward getting eyeglasses and an exam. We can help somebody who is newly going blind and get them the things they need, we can talk to them and help them through the denial stage, teach them some little tricks to maintain their independent living. Sight is very important to us! And just because you are blind or nearly blind doesn’t mean that you can’t do things for yourself. You just do it a little differently.”

Dinner in the Dark gave area residents a taste of what it is like to live without sight, with the entire meal served while attendees were blindfolded. Dinner started off with a salad course before the main meal, which consisted of chicken served on plates at 12 o’clock, beef at 6 o’clock, mashed potatoes at 9 o’clock and asparagus at 3 o’clock, which is precisely how the blind learn to eat.

“It was good everyone had bibs because a lot of people ended up with food in their laps,” Newyear laughed. “But everyone seemed to be in a very good mood and to really enjoy all of the things they were eating. This was a real learning situation for all of us but the dinner the Pahrump Nugget team put on was perfect.”

Aside from the meal, there was a presentation on Helen Keller, along with several gift baskets that were up for grabs.

“The baskets went over really well and thank goodness, we made a lot of money off of those,” Newyear said. “We didn’t make a whole lot of money but we did clear what we owed from organizing everything. And we’ve already got plans for next year!”

In conclusion, Newyear offered the club’s gratitude to those who helped make the Dinner in the Dark a success.

“We’d like to thank our table sponsors, Judge Kim Wanker, Saitta Trudeau, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill, and Edward Jones Financial Advisors, as well as the volunteers who came out. And a big thank you to the Pahrump Nugget’s staff, including Jason, the chef and the servers. They did such a fantastic job feeding the ‘blind’,” Newyear raved.

For more information on the club’s activities or programs or to learn about joining, contact Taylor at CarmenLandinTaylor@yahoo.com or 661-388-7735.

Residents can also speak to any Lions Club member or drop by one of the Lions Club’s meetings, which take place the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at La Patronaz, 270 Dahlia Street.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com