Peabody High junior’s organization to hold fundraiser for the blind

PEABODY – Kayla Bentas, a junior at Peabody High School has always been a determined individual. Ever since she was in the first grade, she remembers setting goals for herself and doing whatever it took to achieve them. So when she lost her sight at age nine after emergency surgery to remove a tumor growing on her optic nerve, sudden blindness was just a minor bump in her road to success.”It was a pretty scary thing when I woke up and couldn’t see a thing,” said Bentas. “But, I’m getting used to it after 8 years. It is tough.”When Bentas returned home from surgery, now as a blind third grader, she quickly began working with a vision teacher to finish out the school year. By June, she began what some might find a rather difficult task – learning Braille – and in just a matter of four months, she had the skill down. In fact, she later went on to become a champion in the National Braille Challenge.In order to stay up to speed with Braille, she knew she needed to purchase some expensive equipment, but didn’t have a means of paying for it. Then, just over two years ago, it clicked: chocolate lollipops.”It all started by me making chocolate lollipops,” she said. Bentas made all sorts of delicious treats on a stick and sold them at local stores and businesses.”They went very fast,” she said. “In about four months, I had made $8,000.”After using $4,300 of that money to purchase a much-needed Braille computer printer, Bentas decided that it was her time to start helping others.”With the leftover money, I knew I wanted to start an organization and help other visually impaired students who have gone through the same thing I’m going through,” she said. And by January 2007, Kayla’s Vision was born.The non-profit organization, led by board president Tom Gould, Bentas’ long-time neighbor, immediately began brainstorming ideas to help fund their cause.”When people began realizing this kid is serious, a group got together on Kayla’s request,” said Gould. “Our goal is to award scholarships and grants to blind and visually impaired students on the North Shore.”So far, the organization has hosted two fundraising events, including a yard sale last May and a golf tournament in September. They raised over $17,000 between the two, and Bentas hopes that their next event will help bump that number up even more.Kayla’s Vision will hold an auction tonight at the Danversport Yacht Club from 7-11 p.m. For $50, the public is welcome to attend a night that will include both live and silent auctions for over 250 items, including weekend getaways to Vermont ski resorts, Boston hotels, and Cape Cod; signed sports memorabilia, including hockey sticks from Ray Bourque, fine jewelry, and an Odyssey boat cruise.”It’s not all about raising the money, it’s more of having fun, getting to know people that are going to be there, and auctioning stuff,” said Bentas. “It’s just to have a good time, really.”Bentas hopes that money raised through the fundraiser will be enough to award scholarships to visually impaired seniors planning to attend college this fall.”At some point, if we can, I’m hoping we can go worldwide because there are so many legally blind students out there that could use whatever they can get to have access to equipment and become independent just like I have,” she said.Gould hopes the night will become a success for Bentas and others just like her.”I’ve always admired what she brought to the table,” he said.