Maple Grove Residents Give Back Through “Dining in the Dark”

For Maple Grove residents Julie Anderson and Donna Hawley, helping with the upcoming “Dining in the Dark” event is not only a way bring awareness to eye diseases, but to fight blindness.

It’s the inaugural year “Dining in the Dark” event in Minneapolis, which organizers say is a “sensory awareness experience” in which guests dine in complete darkness. To get a glimpse into the lives of the blind, diners will wear special light-blocking blindfolds and have their entrée using only their senses of smell, sound, taste and touch. The event will benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness and research into preventions, treatments and cures for retinal degenerative diseases like macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Usher syndrome, and related conditions.

Chairing the event is Maple Grove resident Julie Anderson and Minneapolis resident Mark Valenziano, who are both affected with retinal disease and have supported the local Foundation Fighting Blindness chapter. Local resident Donna Hawley, owner of , is working on the fundraising committee for the event.

“We’re so thrilled to bring this impactful Dining in the Dark experience to Minneapolis,” Anderson said in a press release. “Not only will the evening raise valuable awareness about the challenges more than 10 million Americans, including myself, face on a daily basis, but we’re fortunate to recognize two visionaries as we generate critical funds for research.”

The Foundation’s Visionary Award will be presented to Raymond Iezzi, M.D., M.S., associate professor of ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic and Matt Clysdale, president, Maguire Agency, according to a press release from Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Details of Dining in the Dark

What:  Twin Cities Dining in the Dark, Benefiting the Foundation Fighting Blindness

When: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 23. 

Where: The Marquette Hotel, 710 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55402

Cost:  Individual tickets are available for $250 each and sponsorship packages begin at $2,500.

For more information: Michele DiVincenzo at 847-680-0100 or MDiVincenzo@FightBlindness.org