Please join The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. at Buffalo Wild Wings at North Town Mall in Spokane, WA on Monday, November 13th! Buffalo Wild Wings will donate 10% of proceeds to the Lighthouse when you present a flyer, or mention the Lighthouse’s name to your server from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Stop by our Lighthouse table between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to check out some of our products manufactured at our Spokane facility. We will have some exciting door prizes for a couple of lucky winners! Make sure you leave your information.
Be sure to bring a friend, co-worker, or your entire family out for this wonderful event. Happy hour is between 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. until close. Buffalo Wild Wings is a family friendly establishment, so feel free to bring your children with you. Braille menus will also be provided at the event, please ask your server for a copy.
Event Details:
Monday, November 13th, 2017
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Buffalo Wild Wings, North Town Mall
4750 North Division St, Spokane WA, 99207
For more information about this event, please contact Greg Szabo at (509) 487-0405 or by email at gszabo@seattlelh.org
Developed in Japan in 1882, Judo is a mutually beneficial sport for everyone involved, including blind and visually impaired athletes.
Meaning “the gentle way” Judo require a lot of self-discipline, structure, and strategy.
Brett Lewis, the keynote speaker for the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation’s 2013 Redefining Vision Luncheon on March 27, knows first-hand the challenges and rewards of this competitive martial art.
Originally born in Del Rio, TX, Brett moved to Spokane when he was just five years old. At age six, he lost his sight due to a post-surgical infection. Always an active child, he never let his lack of vision prevent him from being physically active, taking up Judo, running, and wrestling.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Lewis said in an interview for the Spokane Judo Club, where he serves as Head Sensei. “The hardest lesson to learn was to always keep trying hard. When you think you don’t have to anymore, you start slacking and you get lazy. Then someone comes along who will stomp you into the ground and you’ll realize you’ve gotten lazy.”
This dedication paid off for Lewis when in 1987, he became the first American Judo competitor to win the Gold Medal in both his weight division and the open division at the World Championships for the Blind. He also earned the Silver Medal in the subsequent 1992 Paralympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Lewis attended Stanford University, earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in math and engineering. Prior to returning to Spokane in 2001, Brett worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency, the US Mission at NATO, the RAND Corporation. He currently telecommutes to his job as a software engineer for Freedom Scientific. Brett is also the proud father of two boys, Lucas and Miles.
Besides improved physical fitness, Judo can be attributed to increased confidence, defined character, and mutual respect. Judo is based on two major principles, maximum efficient use of energy and mutual prosperity for self and others.
The goal is to win decisively. To be successful, players must rely on their perception of the strength and behavior of the opponent and choose the appropriate reaction or defense technique.
“It is all about leverage and balance,” said Lewis.
But of course, no one wins every match and one must also learn humility. “It’s just you out there on the mat, there’s no team to blame it on if things go bad, and some people don’t stick with it when they lose,” said Lewis. “But if you can leave
the match knowing you’ve done the very best you could, well, then there’s
really nothing wrong with losing.”
