Members of the Kamloops White Cane Club went head to head in a bowling match with local government officials Friday, an event held to raise awareness about blindness in the community.

“Each year that I go before city council, I challenge our local city councillors and the mayor to this event,” said Vern Short, the Kamloops White Cane Club's vice president.

“It’s sighted versus the blind, and it’s just promoting education and raising awareness about blindness in the community.”

The bowling match took place at Falcon Lanes in Valleyview. Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, city councillors Bill Sarai and Margot Middleton, and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer took part.

There was some friendly competition — and plenty of cheers when bowlers made solid shots.

“We bowl, but we may do things differently than the your regular bowler, using the cradle and using spotters, telling us to the left or how many pins we have remaining,” Short said.

A pile of goggles could be seen on the table, each pair replicating a type of eye condition like cataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy and macular degeneration. Short said these goggles help provide exposure for those who have sight to experience what it’s like to have these eye conditions.

Friday’s bowling event was held to mark White Cane Week, which took place from Sunday, Feb. 2 to Saturday, Feb. 8.

Short said this year is particularly significant, as the BC Yukon Division of the Canadian Council of the Blind is celebrating a milestone 80 year anniversary.

He said this year also marks the 100-year anniversary of Helen Keller attending the Lions Club International Convention, giving a passionate speech imploring them to “become knights of the blind and to lead the crusade against darkness.”

Short said the Kamloops branches of the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library will be putting on a display commemorating Keller and her advocacy.