SeeShore Fest to fundraise, vision loss awareness

Heather Napolitano realized she was losing her sight watching a basketball game in 2013. After more than two years with no conclusion as to why she was losing her sight, Napolitano was finally diagnosed with capillary non-perfusion, a condition that occurs when the blood stops. circulating in parts of the retina.

“I mainly use my peripheral vision to move around,” she said. “I have a small part of central vision that stays in my right eye. I focus on the vision I have left, not on what I have lost.

Napolitano and his family decided to start SeeShore Fest to raise funds to fund research on vision loss and to raise awareness about the disease. This year’s event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 28, at the Starboard in Dewey Beach.

“I remain convinced that cures will one day be found and my vision loss will stop, or better yet, what I have lost will be restored,” she said. “SeeShore Fest gives us hope and allows us to keep fighting! “

To date, SeeShore Fest has raised $ 62,500 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the William Feinbloom Center at the Philadelphia Eye Institute. In addition to raising funds for research, the event also aims to educate more than one million Americans affected by retinal diseases that steal vision, Napolitano said.

“The foundation continues to fund thousands of research studies with the goal of someday curing blindness, while the eye institute provides tools to help visually impaired people live better lives until that time. day come, ”she said. “We are very happy to be able to support these two incredible initiatives. “

Napolitano said the event was fun for the whole family and thanked Starboard owner Steve “Monty” Montgomery for his support.

“The famous Punch Board comes back to where there is a winner every time,” she said. “There will be four boards this year, each containing 60 punches. Prices range from local trade merchandise and gift cards to electronics and vacation getaways. There are also raffles where you could walk away with prizes ranging from $ 250 to $ 5,000!