Dear ACBNY Members and Friends,
The American Council of the Blind of Western New York (ACBWNY) cordially invites you to attend the 2021 Convention of the American Council of the Blind of New York (ACBNY), which will be held from Friday, October 15 through Sunday October 17, at the Buffalo Airport Hotel (formerly Holiday Inn Airport), 4600 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225; 716-634-6969. Room rates are $119 per night. This room rate is available from October 13-17 and must be made as part of your convention registration. Please see the 2021 ACBNY Convention Registration Form for more information. A single room list will be submitted to the hotel by the convention committee. If your name does not appear on the list submitted by ACBWNY, you will be subject to the market rate plus all appropriate sales and room taxes. Please note that ACBWNY or ACBNY will NOT be responsible for any incidentals charged to your room.
The hotel has offered us its shuttle vans to both the Buffalo International Airport and the Depew Amtrak station on Dick Rd. Please let Ian Foley or Karen Blachowicz know your arrival time, so we can coordinate trips more easily for you
Meals:
The registration form allows you to enjoy a breakfast buffet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. There is a restaurant/bar on premise, which serves a variety of appetizers, dinners, and local favorites. There is also a Denny’s in front of the hotel within a short walking distance.
For everyone’s convenience, we are offering plated meals for lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday. Each meal will feature an entrée with choice of meat or a vegetarian option. Dinners will include a dressed salad or soup, dinner roll with butter, dessert, and choice of beverage (coffee, tea, decaf, water, iced tea).
Lunch and Dinner choices can be selected on the registration site. If you prefer to attend the entertainment portion of Friday’s Scholarship Fundraiser event, but not the dinner, the price is $25.
Agenda:
Our convention will begin on Friday morning, October 15 at 10 a.m. with our annual New York State Commission for the Blind Town Hall meeting. Lunch will be served around 12:15 and will be followed by our annual business meeting. Our Scholarship fundraiser dinner will be held Friday evening, including plated dinner, cash bar, lively entertainment and a live auction. As part of ACB’s national program, “Get Up and Move,” the Buffalo chapter of the American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive at the hotel Friday afternoon, just outside in the parking lot. Please consider donating for our fellow New Yorkers. New York City is also hosting a “Get Up and Move” event on Friday.
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Saturday morning is being reserved for our special interest chapters; NYSCCLV, GDUES, RSVNY, and our newest affiliate, BRLNY, the Braille Revival League of New York. Following our meetings and before lunch, Leslie Spoone will host “Get Up and Get Going,” an ACB effort to improve the health and wellness of our members across the country. After lunch, we will have various speakers on interesting
topics, and some opportunity for discussion. Our exhibit hall will be open all day for you to learn about and experience various products and services of interest to our members. And of course, what would a convention be without a Saturday evening banquet? ACB President Dan Spoone will be our special guest speaker Sat. night. We look forward to having Dan and Leslie join our festivities.
Our convention will end with a board meeting on Sunday morning, which all are invited to attend. And, this year, we will have two hospitality rooms open where you can visit with old friends and make some new ones during your free time.
Special Events:
We have a tour to Niagara Falls on Saturday, including the Maid of the Mist boat ride, Cave of the Winds tour (lower base of the falls), and a Goat Island/Prospect Point tour just feet from the plunge. There is limited space for 24 guests on this tour, so book early. Price is $200, including the bus, guided tour, and plated lunch at a Niagara Falls restaurant. The tour will return to Buffalo so all can attend the banquet Sat. night.
Fundraisers:
ACBNY will be selling red, blue and black “I (heart for love) ACB” hoodies, sizes medium through 4X, at a reduced convention price of 20 dollars each. Pre-orders can be emailed to Nancy Murray at nancy.murray1947@gmail.com.
Registration:
To register for the convention via Paypal, click here.
To register for the convention via check, click here.
Payment by check can be made out to ACBWNY 2021 Convention to:
ACBWNY C/O Karen Blachowicz
2753 Clinton St.
West Seneca, NY 14224
Registration forms and payments MUST be received by Friday, September 17, 2021. Registrations received after that date will be subject to late fees. Registrations will not be confirmed until full payment is received.
Refund Policy:
The registration fee is non-refundable. Refunds for all events are subject to the reselling of the ticket(s) for each event. If you need to cancel your room reservation, you MUST do so more than 48 hours in advance of the canceled date(s) through the hotel. Any and all refunds will be addressed after the conclusion of the convention.
After the virtual convention of 2020, we hope to see all of you in person this year. We look forward to learning, socializing and sharing with one another October 15th through 17th, 2021 in Buffalo! ACBNY requires all convention attendees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon arrival, so that all may feel comfortable in this group setting.
Sincerely,
Ian Foley, President Cell: 716-435-1354
ACB of Western New York
Karen Blachowicz, President Cell: 716-510-4560
ACB of New York (ACBNY)