Fun Sight Center Facts from the Past
- In 1968 Rosalyn Snow became the very first Mobility Instructor.
- John Goerlich was Santa Claus for more years than he could count.
- At one point the Toledo Society for the Blind was located in the Valentine Theater.
- From 1924-1957 all of the Executive Directors were “trained social workers.”
- In 1930 the workshop once filled a request for a blind-made rug from Japan.
- In 1927 we bought our first building on 718 Michigan Street. It was paid for from the bequests of Edward Drummond Libbey and Frances Swayne (the widow of Noah Swayne).
- The first Lions Christmas party we know of occurred in 1925.
- The first workshop manager was Grace Davenport- she also oversaw the bookkeeping.
- Blind swimming classes began at the Y.M.C.A. in about 1933.
- Auby Curnow taught children’s dance classes in the 1960s.
- The workshop received its first contract with AP Parts in 1953.
- The Lions used to have an annual bazaar that funded the Society’s “rainy day fund.”
- The Society had a garden during the Depression and WW2. Clients were taught how to garden and can vegetables.
- The Society got its first Talking Book machine in 1934.
- The first Talking Book Machine cost $30- or about $687 in 2023 money.
- Within a couple years they had already distributed over 100 Talking Books.
- Due to rations- during WW2 each camper was responsible for bringing their own syrup.
- Original Board member Katharine Geddes was one of the first Toledo Police Women in 1921.
- The building at 1819 Canton was named after Board President Edward E Evans.
- John Goerlich first joined the board in 1954. He would become Board President 3 years later.
- The Community Chest had allocated funds in 1919 for work for the blind. At the time there was no one that could use them.
- Executive Director Estelle Parsons was one of the very first “trained” social workers in Toledo.
- The Canton Ave location opened its doors Sunday, June 17, 1956. The Garden Lake Parkway location opened on Sunday, June 17, 2007- both dates landed on Father’s Day.
- The first issue of the Newsletter was published in May 1964. It was John Goerlich’s idea.
- At one point there were three newsletters. One for the general public, “Goings On” was for clients and “Focus” was for volunteers.
- TARRS- Toledo Area Radio Reading Service was an early precursor to SCAN in the late 70s, early 80s.
- “Vision Division- a division of the Toledo Society for the Blind” was one of the names that was considered for the name change in 1979.
- John Goerlich and Lyle Kirk would go fishing. They would have the fish cleaned and frozen and serve it in the cafeteria on Fridays.
- John Swearengen was “The Blind Worker” of the year. He went to Washington, D.C. and met President Reagan.
- Mascot Dr. Do-Lion was named by 13-year old Shannon Gray in 1984.
- For years the “Braille Race Car Rally” was a popular event. Blind participants would read instructions in braille to navigate the directions to a driver.
- Famous glass artist Dominick Labino made the John Goerlich Distinguished Service Award statue.
- There was a popular Blind Chess Club and Chess Tournaments were very popular.
- WSPD-TV featured four consecutive days of history of the Toledo Society for the Blind in 1954.
- The Society used to have a home where out-of-towners could stay when they were receiving services.
- The Household Department in the workshop used to make leather Telephone Book Covers.
- When it first opened, the Canton Ave location featured a dance floor with cork edges to determine where the floor ended.
- Executive Director Estelle Parsons helped to found the Progressive Club in 1924.
- In order to become a braille transcriber for the Temple Sisterhood for Services to the Blind you had to complete a 2-year course and 35 typed braille examin through the Library of Congress.
- For over 30 years the Christmas card sales program funded many of the fun extracurricular activities.
- The Mosaic in our lobby was designed by Sister Jane Mary Sorobaik.