NAD Board to Meet in Seattle; Special Fundraising Gala to be Held

The Board of Directors of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) will meet in Seattle, Washington on May 20 and 21, 2005. The highlight of the weekend will be a -mini-Gala fundraising celebration in honor of the 125th anniversary of the NAD.

The NAD is grateful to Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS); Sprint Relay, and the Washington State Association of the Deaf (WSAD) for their support for the Board meeting and mini-Gala.

The NAD Board will meet at Sprint offices on Friday, May 20. Sprint will provide lunch and dinner for the Board. On Saturday, May 21, the NAD Board will meet at the offices of ADWAS where snacks and lunch will be provided for the Board. WSAD will host a post-dinner reception for the Board on Friday evening.

On Saturday evening, the fundraising mini-Gala, organized by ADWAS, will take place at the Mayflower Park Hotel with Dr. Gertrude "Gertie" Galloway, NAD past president and current president of Deaf Seniors of America. Dr. Galloway will present on the NAD and her vision for the future of the American deaf community. Support for Dr. Galloway’s travel is made possible through the generous support of Sprint Relay. Welcoming remarks will be made by representatives from ADWAS, Sprint and WSAD.

Seattle mini-Gala tickets are available by contacting Marilyn Smith at: hilsmjs@aol.com [2]. Tickets for the buffet Gala dinner and dessert are priced at $60 per person.

Additional 125th anniversary celebration plans call for a national NAD Gala in Baltimore, Maryland on September 17, 2005. This will be an elegant dinner affair with entertainment and special program. Information about the fall national Gala will be forthcoming.

The theme of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) 125th Anniversary celebration is Cherish, Celebrate, and Commit –cherish the past, celebrate the present, and commit to the future.  Since 1880, the NAD has remained steadfast in advocating for the civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans.

"This is a time for us to celebrate our successes to date, and a time for us all to commit to building a stronger NAD that is more powerful and influential!", said NAD President Andrew  Lange.  "It is especially inspiring to see the support for the NAD in communities around the country," he continued, "first in Florida in January and now in the state of Washington."