Mary Cunningham sure knows how to throw a birthday party. The Edmonton woman turns 90 on Monday and to celebrate, she invited 90 friends to the annual Visions Luncheon at the Westin Hotel.

Cunningham has been a terrific supporter of CNIB and has, for many years, celebrated her birthday at the event.

And it was quite the noon affair where CNIB president John Rafferty paid special recognition to the folks to have been a driving force behind the luncheon on its 25th anniversary.

Rafferty spoke about longtime CNIB executive director Bill McKeown.

And then there's Merico Tesolin. He shared his inspiring story of living his life as a deaf-blind man.

"During my high school, I was not sure what I wanted to do for work in the future," says Tesolin. "I wanted to drop out of school when I turned 18 because my mom wouldn't let me while I was underage.

"When my 18th birthday was almost here, my mom had a discussion with me about it. She knew she cannot stop me but wouldn't let me be a couch potato."

Tesolin's mother persuaded him to talk to the volunteer department at CNIB. A short time later he began to work as intervener for Deaf Blind Service.

A few months after that, he was offered a job as literacy instructor for Deaf Blind at CNIB, a position he has held for the past six years. "I would not be here if I had not volunteered for CNIB at the first place."

It was a great Friday at the Crowne Plaza, with two great events.

First, 630 CHED's Bruce Bowie did the MC thing for the annual general meeting of the Salvation Army.

And then, that evening, Paralympic downhill skier Viviane Forest put her skis down and was the guest speaker for PLAN Edmonton's (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network) gala.

PLAN was formed 24 years ago in Vancouver and is a grassroots, family operation.

For those who have a child or a relative with a disability, this question -who will take care of our children when we are gone? -is real and pressing. The families who founded PLAN searched and discovered solutions to securing the future for loved ones with disabilities.

For more information, call 780-488-2422 or e-mail info@planedmonton.ca.

We'll be handing out copies of the Edmonton Journal on Wednesday at the McDonald's location in Namao. It's McHappy Day all over the free world, with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House.

So I've been practising for this new gig all weekend. Here, let me try it on you.

"Extra, extra, read all about it."

ctait@edmontonjournal.com

Twitter.com/camtait