"In The Driver's Seat"®
An initiative of the Lions Club of Warrandyte Inc.
Mandy Ramona has been totally blind since childhood, but that has not stopped her meeting a major challenge - driving a motor car! "I am writing this letter three hours after I stepped out from behind the steering wheel and I am still grinning from ear to ear," she wrote in a letter to the club.
The occasion was the first Warrandyte Lions Club "In the Driver's Seat" day which
allowed over 100 vision impaired people to try their hand at driving a car on the Sandown
Motor Circuit. The project was organised by club member Peter Watts who
had heard of a similar event in NSW. Heard is the operative word as Peter
has become seriously vision impaired himself. He realized he missed the
feeling of being behind the wheel and that there would be many others who felt
the same and even blind people who had never had the opportunity.
In The Driver's Seat is now an annual event of the club and is assisted by the resources of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, the Vintage Driver's Club, the Ulysses Motor Cycle Club, and the '49-'59 Ford Customline Club. The VACC provides the venue and independent driving instructors provide the dual controlled cars while the Vintage Car Club, the Motor Cycle Club and the Ford Customline Club make for added thrills on the day.
The event is usually held on a Sunday early in April unless Easter intervenes or Sandown Park is otherwise unavailable. Transport is provided from the Sandown Park Railway Station to the registration area and back at no cost. Free food and soft drink at nominal cost is available during the day. More details can be obtained from Peter Watts on telephone 9844 3903 or by writing to:
| Lions Club of Warrandyte Inc. |
| ITDS Chairman |
| PO Box 18 |
| Warrandyte Vic 3113 |
Please note bookings are essential as the event runs to a tight schedule from 9am to 4pm.
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| Warrandyte Lions Club |
| State Winner 1997 |
