Braille Rallye time is here again. I am proud of our club’s
long history of sponsoring this event. It is one of the highlights of our annual
calendar. The drivers, sight-impaired navigators and their families who attend
this event thoroughly enjoy the outing. Please do come out to join us for this
wonderful event and the picnic that follows immediately afterward. The 46th
annual Braille Rallye will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2008 at Burke
Lake Park in Fairfax County.
The Braille Rallye is usually attended by 25-35 of our club
members with their MGs, by a similar number of sight impaired individuals and by
several Lighthouse staff. The rallye course begins at a picnic shelter in the
park, proceeds through about 30 miles of the surrounding countryside and is
completed by returning to the park. Prior to the rallye, the organizers
determine the optimal completion time by driving the course at the posted speed
limit. When they approach the start line of the rallye, the participants are not
aware of the course route or the optimal time. Each participating car is manned
by a driver and a navigator. At the starting line, each navigator is provided
with a set of instructions pointing out keys to the route. Often the keys are
not street names but directions linked to landmarks, e.g., “turn right at the
white picket fence”. What makes the Braille Rallye especially interesting for
the participants is that the navigators are sight impaired and the course
instructions are prepared either in large print for navigators with some sight
or in Braille for navigators who are sightless. Therefore, the driver must rely
upon the navigator to read and communicate the directions correctly and the
navigator is dependent upon the driver to locate each of the landmarks while
driving the course. Upon completion of the rallye, the drivers, navigators and
their families and the staff of the Lighthouse participate in a picnic, during
which awards for several different classifications are presented to the winners
of the rallye.
The Braille Rallye provides an opportunity for our sight
impaired friends to get to know the LBCs that we drivers all love so much. Even
though they can’t see our cars, they still have a great appreciation for them.
In order to make this event successful, we need as many drivers as possible with
their cars and all the helpers we can get! Drivers and workers should plan to
arrive at the park by 9:30 am on July 14, 2007. The Rallye is scheduled to start
at 10:00 – 10:15 am. Our food committee always provides a great meal for the
picnic, which should wrap up at about 1:30 pm. If you plan to attend the Rallye,
please call Nelson Wilson at (703) 723-1419 so we will know the number of
drivers that he can expect to participate. Hope to see many of you on the 19th!
Directions to Burke Lake Park:
From the west, take Fairfax County Parkway to Route 123
South. Follow Route 123 South for approximately 2 miles. Burke Lake Park is on
the left side of Route 123 just after passing through the traffic light at Burke
Lake Road. The first entrance to the park is for the golf course. The second
entrance is at a traffic light. It is the main gate and should be used for our
purposes. Once you enter the park, follow the signs to the Rallye.
From the north or east, take Route 495 to the Braddock Road
exit in VA. Follow Braddock Road west for approximately 2 miles and turn left
onto Burke Lake Road. Follow Burke Lake Road for approximately 4.5-5.0 miles to
its intersection with Route 123. Turn left onto Route 123 South. Burke Lake Park
is immediately on the left side of Route 123. The first entrance to the park is
for the golf course. The second entrance is for the main gate and should be used
for our purposes. Once you enter the park, follow the signs to the Rallye.
From the south, take Route 95 to Route 123 North (exit 160).
Follow Route 123 North for approximately 7.5-8.0 miles. Burke Lake Park is on
the right side of Route 123. Just past Clipper Drive (which is on the left), the
entrance to the main gate of the park is on the right at a stoplight and should
be used for our purposes. Once you enter the park, follow the signs to the
Rallye.
