Those of us who train to run marathons know how hard it is to stick to a schedule and meet the distance goals. It’s enough for us to train and successfully finish the marathon. But Pittsburgh father Mike Bruno took it a step further. Along with hundreds of others, he recently ran the full Pittsburgh marathon.
But he did it blindfolded.
His goal wasn’t just to finish the race. He also wanted to raise awareness and money for his 7-year-old daughter, who is congenitally blind, and specifically the Vision Research ROPARD Foundation (VRRF). Those of us who saw him running at the event got goosebumps.
On his website, he explains why he took up the cause. He said:
“Like all fathers, I want to be able to help guide and direct my children though life. Having a vision impaired daughter obviously has added additional challenges and tribulations to my duties as a parent. This year, I decided to knock the 20 years of dust off my running shoes and run the Pittsburgh Marathon. However this time with a caveat—I am going to deprive myself of the primary sense of vision by blindfolding myself. My friend and co-worker, Jim Irvin will be my sighted guide. My intentions are to raise awareness and money for Vision Research ROPARD Foundation (VRRF). More importantly, I hope to gain a better understanding of what Cassie deals with on a daily basis. I hope this blindfolded journey through the “Burgh” will ultimately make me a better father to guide Cassie through life. Your support is greatly appreciated.”
Mike also included the Vision Research ROPARD Foundation’s mission statement. It states:
“The Mission of the Vision Research ROPARD Foundation is to support research, programs and services designed to prevent, treat and/or provide adaptive resources to patients of all ages affected by vision threatening retinal disease and their family members. We carry out this mission through clinically relevant research, educational programs for patients, family members and general public, physician educational programs, and community support programs; such as, the Children’s Low Vision Resource Center.”
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