BOLD
Blind Outdoor Liesure Development
It all started when a Frenchman Jean Eymere, a ski instructor in Aspen, Colorado lost his sight through diabetes. A few years after losing his sight, in 1969, he wanted to ski again. His friends and colleagues at the ski school assisted him and guided him safely down the mountain.
This experiment was so encouraging, that the Aspen Ski School invited a group of blind persons from the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind in Colorado Springs to share their new learned skills.
In 1973/1974 during his term as District Governor of Distrtict 27A2 Lion Dick Kapp formed Milwaukee Bold.
In 1977 Southeastern Wisconsin Lions Bold, Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the State of Wisconsin.
What started out in January 1974, nervously, with 5 blind people wanting to go downhill sking has grown into an average of 26 different summer and winter activities. Almost every other weekend some event is scheduled for the VIPs.
BOLD is open to all legally blind people. Event participation is free. The organization is managed by a Board of Directors of ten, of which six have to be Lions or Lioness Club members.
New VIPs find out that not all is despair and that there is some fun left in life. Through the BOLD activities they increase their confidence levels and become more productive members of our society. Especially young VIPs benefit greatly by participating in BOLD events.
Today Southeastern Wisconsin Lions BOLD Inc. is by far the largest and most active BOLD organization in the USA. Something that all Lions and Lionesses of Districts 27A1 and 27A2 can be real proud of!