“Bowling While Blind” Raises Awareness, Funds

The event sought to educate the public on vision impairments in a fun and interactive way.

MOORHEAD, MN – The sound of the ball hitting the pins echoed the same. But how it was delivered? Quite different.

“They’ll have a rail system where the person can follow the rail and use that as a guide to their approach,” explained Allan Peterson of the North Dakota Association of the Blind.

Their event, “Bowling While Blind”, brought folks of all kinds to Sunset Lanes in Moorhead.

The unique rail setup not only allowed those with vision impairments to bowl like their sighted counterparts, but it also gave friends and family the opportunity to put on blindfolds, or goggles mimicking different ocular conditions, and experience blindness in some capacity.

The event elicited a positive response from all participants.

“Feels great to be able to throw and trust that probably I’ll hit some pins,” said Elias Youngblom.

“Maybe not, but at least I’m doing it on my own. Feels good. Feels nice to have that level of independence.”

The unimpaired gained a deeper appreciation for those with limited vision – and those with limited vision felt, well, limitless.

“We want the public to know that blindness isn’t the end of a productive life,” said Peterson.

If you’d like to donate to the Association of the Blind for Giving Hearts Day, click here.