American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Winter 2019 NOPBC NEWS
The Megan Bening Memorial Fund
At the 2018 convention of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in Orlando, Florida, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) gave away technology worth more than nine thousand dollars. The technology was purchased through the Megan Bening Memorial Fund.
The Megan Bening Memorial Fund was created in the spring of 2017 by the board of directors of the NOPBC to honor the memory of Megan Bening, daughter of board member Jean Bening and her husband Allan Bening. Megan passed away suddenly from a brain hemorrhage in January 2017.
Megan Bening was an avid Braille reader who loved technology. When Allan and Jean were asked what they would like to do with the money raised for the Megan Bening Memorial Fund, they had an answer right away. They wanted to honor Megan's passion by providing technology to other blind and low-vision children and youth.
At the 2017 NFB convention, blind and low-vision kids went about selling Megan Bening Angel Pins. They raised more than three thousand dollars. With donations from others and a matching gift from iSenpai, the Megan Bening Memorial Fund raised over ten thousand dollars for the purchase of technology by the opening day of the 2018 convention.
Children and teens interested in obtaining pieces of technology entered a series of drawings held at the NOPBC Family Hospitality Night. Any child from birth to age eighteen who was registered for the NOPBC Conference was eligible to enter. In order to win, children had to attend Family Hospitality. Children who entered had the opportunity to examine the available pieces of technology and decide which item they wanted to win.
The 2018 Technology Giveaway included fourteen pieces of assistive technology. Following is a list of the devices and the children whose names were drawn to win them:
Kindle Fire Kids Edition was won by Luisa Monteiro-Oliveira, age 15, Marietta, GA; Layla Hildenbrand, age 8, Mills River, NC; and Jordan Young, age 11, West Monroe, LA.
APH Orbit Reader 20 Cell was won by Logan Sykes, age 7, San Angelo, TX and Ahbee Orton, age 18, Florence, AL.
Focus 14 Blue 5th Generation was won by Harley Loomis, age 7, Oswego, NY.
Victor Reader Stream New Generation was won by Mikaela Murrey, age 3, Dallas, TX and Anna Walker, age 17, Carlisle, PA.
Victor Reader Trek was won by Caiden Hooks, age 14, Delaware, OH and Hailey Baskeyfield, age 14, Norman, OK.
Perkins Classic Brailler was won by Maddie Martin, age 15, Ashburn, VA.
Focus 40 with case 5th Generation was won by Ethan Solano, age 17, Marshfield, MO.
Video Mag HD was won by Timi Olukanni, age 18, Lawrenceville, GA and Raveena Ali, age 11, Atlanta, GA.
More than six hundred Angel Pins were ordered for sale at the 2018 NFB national convention. By the last day of convention, all of the pins had been sold. The second annual Megan Bening Memorial Fund Technology Giveaway will take place at the 2019 NFB national convention during the NOPBC Family Hospitality Night.
Anyone who would like to make a donation to the Megan Bening Memorial Fund can go to http://nopbc.org/megan.
If you would like to purchase an Angel Pin in memory of Megan, contact Jean Bening at [email protected]. The cost of an Angel Pin is $5.00 plus $3.00 shipping, or you can purchase a pin at the 2019 NFB national convention. Many thanks to all who have so generously supported this memorial to Megan!
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