Louisiana Association for the Blind throws a Halloween party with a vision

Who doesn’t want to don their most fantastical costume, brave their way through an eerie eyeball forest and experience a trick-or-treat tunnel while dining and dancing the night away amid a magical backdrop? For those 21 and older, you are only a ticket away from this and more at the Louisiana Association for the Blind’s Eye Ball 2024.

The Riverdome at the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City is the site for this extravagant evening on Oct. 25, from 7 p.m. to midnight.

“Our inaugural Eye Ball is the largest adult Halloween party in Northwest Louisiana,” says Alison Young, vice president of development at L.A.B. “There will be dueling DJs, a voodoo queen, fortune teller, magician, a tunnel of terror and a costume contest with winners receiving $1,000 each for best male, female and couple. We will have a silent auction to include jewelry by our premier jewelry sponsor, Lockhart Jewelers, fabulous trip experiences, including an Alaskan northern lights experience and a Portland wine spa experience, and so much more. Funds raised at this event will go toward renovating our headquarters location into the area’s premier Assistive Technology Center where we will provide and train on the latest assistive technology to help people who are blind or visually impaired become more independent every day.”

If you are unfamiliar with L.A.B. and its outstanding facilities and resources, this is the perfect opportunity to discover what you are missing and become a supporter. “Louisiana Association for the Blind is the largest producer of copy paper in the state of Louisiana,” Alison adds. “We provide copy paper to the United States military and commercially as well. You can purchase our copy paper locally with free delivery within a 100-mile radius of the Shreveport-Bossier area at LaBlind.com.

Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities include our Laser, Design, and Die division. We partner with 3M and Jessop to design and cut peel-and-stick non-skid material for the United States Navy and Coast Guard. Over 75% of our workforce is blind or visually impaired.”

Local community volunteers Susanna Van Norman and her husband, local ophthalmologist Dr. Russ Van Norman of Shreveport Eye Specialists, are enthusiastic to be on board for this year’s event.

“This is our first time to be involved with the L.A.B.,” Susanna says. “They asked us to be honorary chairs for the ball, and we accepted. We then toured the facility and were blown away by the technology and resources they provide. The facility is top-notch. Both my husband and I were very much amazed. They have a training kitchen and incredible adaptive technology for those who have low or no vision. We were just unaware of this wonderful resource.”

As you might imagine, it takes a long list of people to make such a magical costume ball happen. Bonné Summers, owner of Apex Event Consultants, is one such person. “I have been in business for 15 years. … I am the behind-the-scenes person of many local events and productions and love it!” The masters of ceremony for the evening will be Ed Walsh and Sonja Bailes, while Dr. Russ Van Norman and his wife, Susanna, will reign as the King and Queen of the Eye Ball.”

The entertainment previously mentioned is a wonderful mix of Louisiana talents such as Moriah Hicks and Ophy James, talented actors from the Mahogany Ensemble Theatre providing fortune telling and the voodoo queen; caricaturist, Ruston-based artist Cory Carlson; and magician Dr. Marvel (aka Dan the Magic Man) with tons of sleight of hand tricks and a teleporter device that magically teleports objects across the room. As if that wasn’t enough, dueling DJs, DJ Yoshi and DJ Static Shock, will also have a battle of the DJs during the evening’s events.

The Trick-or-Treat Tunnel, according to Bonné, is a unique tunnel that will feature interactive entertainment throughout, such as the Brave Box, which is a sensory box that guests will put their hands into to guess what they are feeling. (This imitates how the power of touch is enhanced when a person’s sight is affected and they must rely on other heightened senses, like touch, to understand what an object is.)

“There will be a cash bar and buffets will have food from the Horseshoe kitchen featuring an Eyeball Meatball and Lice (rice) station with three different flavors of eyeball meatballs. Buffet stations and guests will be able to get their fill of candy and cookies from giant coffins as serving pieces. The main pièce de résistance,” says Bonné Summers, “is a 1,500-square-foot suspended ceiling that will feature giant eyeballs, shimmer curtains and lights suspended above the dance floor.”

“With every purchase and donation,” Alison Young adds, “you are improving the quality of life and empowering people through responsive education, support services, skills training and employment. Supporting L.A.B. serves the community by providing gainful employment for people who are visually impaired, for whom the national unemployment rate is 70%. Your support also generates funds to provide a wide range of services and training to those seeking a more independent life.”

Tickets for the Eye Ball are $75 and can be purchased online at eyeballparty.com. The Riverdome at the Horseshoe Casino is located at 711 Horseshoe Blvd., Bossier City.

To order copy paper or discover more innovative resources provided by The Louisiana Association of the Blind, visit lablind.com or call 318-635-6471. Their facility is located at 1826 Claiborne Ave., Shreveport.