HONOREE FOR THE ANNUAL NEW YORK STATE THIRD SENATE DISTRICT HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AWARD

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HONOREE FOR THE ANNUAL NEW YORK STATE

THIRD SENATE DISTRICT HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AWARD

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HONOREE FOR THE ANNUAL NEW YORK STATE

THIRD SENATE DISTRICT HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AWARD

Former Client of Helen Keller Services For The Blind Receives Senator's Award

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, Oct. 3 -/E-Wire/-- MONDAY, OCT. 3, 2005, BROOKLYN, N.Y. â Helen Keller Services for the Blind (HKSB) announced today that former client, John Calixto, will be honored with the annual New York State Third Senate District Hispanic Heritage Month Award for greatly contributing to his community as an outstanding small business owner. Senator Caesar Trunzo (NY-R) will present the award at a ceremony held in the Perry B. Dureya Jr. State Office building in Hauppauge, New York, on Oct. 5, 2005.

With initial aid and funding from the Business Enterprise Program (BEP), Calixto was granted a vendor's license and independently owns and operates a convenience store/newsstand in the Perry B. Dureya, Jr. State Office building in Hauppauge. Through rehabilitation and education, he embraced the new challenge of being blind and gained the skills necessary for independent living and business ownership.

"John is truly one of the most amazing clients I have ever worked with," said Diane Shelto, Academic Studies Instructor at HKSB. "He refused to let an accident rob him of his independence. His never-say-die attitude is an example of a powerful and influential human spirit. Our community is enriched by his perseverance and positive attitude."

Calixto lost his eyesight in a motorcycle accident in 2000. He turned to HKSB in 2002 for rehabilitation serves such as Assistive Technology Center training, instruction in braille, and academic, mobility and safe-travel skills training. Through HKSB, he was accepted into the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) through the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped in 2003. He completed a training program designed to provide the technical skills to successfully manage a business and opened the doors to his store, "John C's Goods," on Feb. 9, 2004.

The awards ceremony will take place in the lobby of the Perry B. Dureya Jr. State Office building, 250 Veteran's Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, Long Island, on Oct. 5, 2005, from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (EDT). The ceremony will be followed by a reception.

About Helen Keller Services for the Blind For over 110 years, Helen Keller Services for the Blind (HKSB) has been a pioneer in the field of blindness rehabilitation. Its mission is to help individuals of all ages and degrees of blindness to live as independently as possible within their own communities. Headquartered in Brooklyn, the agency has two additional rehabilitation sites on Long Island. HKSB has been awarded four stars on the renowned philanthropic Website, Charity Navigator. Please visit the Website for more information at http://www.helenkeller.org/index.html.

Helen Keller Services for the Blind

[REDACTED-PHONE], ext. 204

[REDACTED-EMAIL]

http://www.helenkeller.org

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