Findlay, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2000 — Elizabeth O’Donnell, founder of the Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped, Inc., (SABAH) will visit The University of Findlay on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The purpose of her visit is to establish a SABAH chapter for Hancock and Wood Counties.

Demonstrations will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Clauss Ice Arena for parents, volunteers, students and the general public. A community meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Alumni Memorial Union. The community meeting is open to parents, volunteers, students, foundations, service clubs and the general public.

In 1976, while working as a professional skating instructor in Buffalo, N.Y., O’Donnell had the unique idea to teach people who were blind how to ice skate. Initial success led to the formation of SABAH as a Buffalo-based, not-for-profit educational corporation in 1977. Soon after its initial effort, SABAH expanded to include children, youth and adults with all types of disabilities.

For more than 22 years, SABAH has taught 9,000 Western New Yorkers who have physical, cognitive or emotional challenges to ice skate. This past year, locally raised funds provided instruction to more than 800 people with disabilities each week. SABAH provides weekly adaptive ice skating lessons, adaptive skating equipment, intense volunteer support and the opportunity to perform in an annual skating spectacular.

The goal of bringing O’Donnell to UF is to bring together different individuals and organizations that would be interested in starting a SABAH chapter for Hancock and Wood Counties. Ice time for SABAH’s first year has been donated by The University of Findlay.

For more information, call Jean Folkerth at 419-434-6945.