On November 9, a special banquet sponsored by the Greater Warwick Lions Club will be held at Chelo's Restaurant. Three people who have demonstrated remarkable commitment to individuals who are blind will be recognized for their services. They are: Lorna Ricci, executive director of Ocean State Center for Independent Living, who devoted her career of 31 years to OSCIL, along with Paul Isenberg and Ken Barthelemy from the Rhode Island Lions Sight Foundation, where they volunteer for a multitude of free services such as provision of eye exams and glasses, vision screenings at schools, funding a summer and winter camp for children who are blind, along with fishing tournaments and kayaking for adults who are blind. The dinner will include a DJ, dancing and spectacular raffle items

This banquet will not be an ordinary event, however. Because the awards are for individuals who have helped children and adults who are blind, everyone at the dinner will be treated to the heightened sensory experience of eating his/her entree in complete darkness, simulating blindness. 

Before putting on their night masks, participants will learn skills to help them eat without sight. Tips will be provided on how to fill a water glass by using a finger to find the water threshold and the use of bread as a food pusher. The food will be laid out on the plate using the clock method, such as the chicken is at three o’clock, the potatoes at twelve. Once plunged into darkness there will be no more tinkering on cell phones, no hidden flashlights and no cheating.

Heather Schey, president of the Greater Warwick Lions Club, is excited to recognize the contributions of the inspiring individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others. She is also looking forward to this culinary adventure because, being visually impaired, she would like to bring awareness about blindness to others. Individuals who are blind are just like anyone else, they just have to go about things in different ways.

The Greater Warwick Lions Club, in existence for over 20 years, has a long history of helping people in Warwick. Some of the projects they accomplished this year include planting trees in the City Dog Park in April, awarding a $1,000 college scholarship to a graduating Warwick student, sending eight children to one week of the Boys & Girls Club summer camp and performing free eye screenings on all Warwick The proceeds from this event will be split between the Foundation Fighting Blindness (which funds research to find preventions, treatments and cures for retinal degenerative eye diseases, such as Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosa and Ushers Syndrome, ) and the Greater Warwick Lions Club which will use the money to fund future community projects.

Dining in the Dark has become quite the social event in other parts of the world, and socialites make reservations way in advance and pay hundreds of dollars to participate. Warwick’s culinary experience on November 9 only costs $40, and nowhere else in the world would the proceeds go to help eradicate blindness. Possibly next year no one will have to dine in the dark.

The event will take place November 9 from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at Chelo’s Banquet Hall on Post Road in Warwick. For tickets or for more information call or text 954-2096. The deadline is Nov. 2.