Welcome to our Independence Day 2026 issue of Eyes on the Center. Inside: a message from our Executive Director, a note on our summer campaign, staff reflections on freedom and summer travel, a Cajun recipe, a legislative honor for Pete McCall, and thanks to our donors.
Events Calendar
The Center offers classes, support groups, Low Vision Clinic days, and community events all summer. See what is coming up next.
In This Issue
- Chop Wood, Carry Water — A Message from Executive Director Nate Kile
- A Note on Our Summer Campaign
- A Message from Casey Duer, Program Director
- A Message from Daria Ezhova, AT Instructor and Youth Coordinator
- A Message from Jacque Olsen, Mat-Su Outreach Coordinator
- A Message from Pete McCall: Maque Choux, a Cajun Summer Dish
- A Message from Victoria Ackerman: Freedom, Independence, and Summer Travel Tips
- A Message from Tom Class: A Big Lake Fishing Story
- A Message from Kevin Whitley, Manual Skills Instructor
- Pete McCall Honored by the Alaska State Legislature
- Thank You to Our Donors
- Save the Date: “Mask”querade — Seeing With Our Hearts 2026
Chop Wood, Carry Water — A Message from Executive Director Nate Kile
Nate reflects on a season of change at the Center — the capital sprinkler and fire alarm project, staff changes, and new partnerships across the state — and on the Zen line that keeps coming back to him: before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. The work goes on, steady and consistent, and because of supporters like you, the doors keep opening and another person walks through to take back a piece of their life.
A Note on Our Summer Campaign
Our summer donation request goes out this month. A necessary fire sprinkler upgrade has closed part of our building, and with those spaces offline our fee-for-service programs have slowed and our income has dropped. This summer we are working to raise $20,000 to keep our programs steady, with the campaign running through September 22. A friend of the Center will match the first $1,000 in gifts, and whatever amount feels right is the right amount.
A Message from Casey Duer, Program Director
Getting out into the community can feel harder with vision loss, but it is no less important. Casey shares a family beach trip — beachcombing, climbing over boulders, and listening to the waves — and a reminder that vision struggles may change how we do things, not whether we do what we love.
A Message from Daria Ezhova, AT Instructor and Youth Coordinator
Daria looks forward to a family Fourth of July, welcoming her husband’s parents to Alaska for their first visit from Indiana, and to scouting new places that might become adventures for our youth camps.
A Message from Jacque Olsen, Mat-Su Outreach Coordinator
Our Mat-Su team joined 114 vendors and more than 500 attendees at the Links/ADRC Resource Fair in Wasilla.
A Message from Pete McCall: Maque Choux, a Cajun Summer Dish
Pete shares maque choux (say “mock shoe”), a traditional Louisiana dish of corn stewed with peppers and onion — a light, creamy side for a summer barbecue.
Ingredients: 4 ears corn (or 3 cups frozen corn), half a stick of butter, 1 red bell pepper, 1 sweet onion, 1 jalapeño, ½ cup heavy cream, Cajun seasoning.
Directions: Cut the corn off the ears or use frozen corn. Dice the bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the vegetables, and sauté until the onions are soft. Add the heavy cream and seasonings and cook for ten minutes.
A Message from Victoria Ackerman: Freedom, Independence, and Summer Travel Tips
Victoria (Orientation and Mobility, COMS, TVI, Low Vision Specialist) connects Independence Day to another kind of independence — safe, confident travel. For someone who is blind or low vision, a long white cane is more than a tool; it is a symbol of freedom.
Her summer cane tips: keep the cane moving in a consistent arc; watch for seasonal hazards like construction and outdoor dining; protect your cane tip on gravel and dirt; listen to your environment; and practice on Alaska’s parks, trails, and shorelines.
A Message from Tom Class: A Big Lake Fishing Story
Tom (Activities of Daily Living and Rural Travel Specialist) recounts landing his first northern pike — about 22 inches — on a handmade fly from his father, out on a small lake near Big Lake. He promises more fishing adventures this summer.
A Message from Kevin Whitley, Manual Skills Instructor
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” — Abraham Lincoln. Happy Fourth of July.
Pete McCall Honored by the Alaska State Legislature
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson and her team visited the Center to present Pete McCall with a citation from the Thirty-Fourth Alaska State Legislature honoring his service. Since becoming Older Blind Outreach Coordinator in 2023, Pete has grown outreach to older blind Alaskans in Anchorage fivefold, started support groups and home visits, and built new programming in Fairbanks for residents 55 and older.
Thank You to Our Donors
We are grateful to Middle Way Cafe, First National Bank of Alaska, the American Association of Drilling Engineers (Alaska Chapter), and TOTE Maritime Alaska for their generous gifts to the Center.
Save the Date: “Mask”querade — Seeing With Our Hearts 2026
Our annual benefit, the Mask-querade, is Thursday, October 8, 2026 at the Anchorage Museum.