Crossing the Bay Bridge
by Cassie McKinney
From the Editor: A version of the following article originally appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Future Reflections, our sister publication for parents of blind children. Cassie McKinney is president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, a division of the National Federation of the Blind. She writes about a fundraising activity that she and other members of the division undertook: participating in a 10K walk/run that crossed Maryland’s Bay Bridge as a finale to a meeting of its board of directors. Here is what she says:
As Federationists we embark daily on endeavors to change misconceptions about blindness. Frequently we cross metaphorical bridges that have been created between blind people and our dreams. On November 10, 2024, a group of Federationists joined more than eighteen thousand others in the physical challenge of a 10K walk that included crossing the four-mile Bay Bridge in Maryland. Our participation in this event was spearheaded by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) and expanded to include other members of our Federation family. While its initial purpose was community involvement, the walk soon blossomed into a fundraising activity that helped support our organization.
The dream of crossing the Bay Bridge started with a few of the parents who planned to be in Baltimore for the NOPBC board meeting. We wanted to take part in the event, which has become a wonderful way to showcase the magnificent bridge and the community support that it brings to the area it touches. Corrigan Sports is the company that has backed the walk/run since 2014. Over time the event has grown, and more and more people take part every year. In 2024, the organizers anticipated that more than eighteen thousand people would be involved, both in person and virtually.
Our team, the NFB Dreamers, was branded with our NFB mission statement in mind.
Federationists walked to show the community that blind people can take part in the event and can do so on the same level as sighted participants. As parents we walked for our blind children, who face challenges in everything from education to extracurricular activities. For my part, I didn’t just walk as a blind person or as the mom of my son, Robert, who is blind; I walked for those parents and blind people who haven’t found us yet, the ones who don’t know that they can find a voice through the support system of the National Federation of the Blind.
Our team did more than just walking; through our participation we raised money for the Federation. Our efforts brought in several thousand dollars in pledges from our supporters, which were matched through a generous donation from HumanWare. Our walking didn’t just raise awareness for our Federation family; we were able to bring in the revenue that we need to fuel our work.
Many people have asked me, “What was it like to cross the Bay Bridge?” For me, the journey was full of emotion: a sense of triumph, self-awareness, accomplishment, endurance, and adversity. Let me begin with the adversity.
The overwhelming sense of accomplishment was foremost in my mind as I completed a 10K for the first time in my life. However, I also experienced the physical pain that came from a foot injury that I did not know I had until the walk was completed. I have suffered from issues with plantar fasciitis for several years. While I participated in the walk I assumed this condition was causing the pain I experienced. Two days after the walk, I learned that the pain was actually caused by a stress fracture!
In spite of the pain, I walked across the Bay Bridge with my white cane in my hand, putting one foot in front of the other. The passion that is in my heart for the work that we do in the Federation was the motivation and driving force that pushed me on.
From time to time along the journey I paused to stand by the railing of the bridge. All that my limited vision allowed me to see was the vastness of the Chesapeake Bay beneath us. My thoughts went to the endless numbers of people the Federation has not yet reached. My heart and my spirit were uplifted by our members who were supporting what we hoped to accomplish through this event. I knew that what we were doing was far more than crossing a bridge.
Stepping across the finish line was one of the most emotional moments of this journey. Although I had finished the task at hand, it was a metaphorical beginning, leading to the next bridge that will come. What will I be asked to do next to change the life of a parent in need, and how will I face that struggle with them? I know that this work of changing lives does not rest solely on my shoulders. It rests in the hearts of Federationists everywhere.
The work we do will go on, and we will cross many more bridges, both physical and metaphorical. (Indeed, members of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children will cross the Bay Bridge again in 2025.) We will take one step at a time, joined by others who are dreamers, too. We will make a difference in the world we live in, as blind people and as parents of blind children.
The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children is proud to be a division of the National Federation of the Blind. We are devoted to finding more opportunities like the Bay Bridge Run, either as a division or in collaboration with our parent organization, through which we can bring in funds and be part of our communities. Stay tuned for information about efforts that are already in the works. When we take on challenges together, we share the love and philosophy at the heart of our movement.
No matter how you are able to be out in your community, be active and push yourself in new ways. For many this may not mean walking or running a 10K, and that is perfectly acceptable. Sometimes it is in small ways that we have the greatest effect on changing the misconceptions about blindness. Always remember that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. You will do it by putting one foot in front of the other. Someday you will be able to reflect on your accomplishment and see the bridges that you have crossed. Keep on dreaming!