4-Rivers Council of the Blind

09/02/2026

Photos from our Dining in the Dark event. Thank you to all of our members and their families and friends who attended. Thank you to those who contributed items to our gift baskets, including Liliana‘s Italian Kitchen, Denny Huff, Ginger and Johanna, and Kim Reese. And congratulations to all the happy winners. Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets for the 50-50 raffle and again congratulations to the winner.
A very special thank you to Karen Gaglio for pulling this event together. You did an awesome job.
Thank you also to Jeff Clinkingbeard for talking to all of us about adaptive technology for the blind and visually impaired community.
We are looking forward to doing this event again next year. Hope to see you all there.!

09/02/2026

Our Dining in the Dark fundraiser on August 22 at Liliana‘s Italian Kitchen in Cottleville was a big success and so much fun. Here’s a video of Denny Huff, Kim Rees , and Karen Gaglio kicking off the event 

08/11/2026

DINING IN THE DARK
An Experience of Trust, Taste, and Understanding
What would it be like to sit down to a delicious Italian dinner—and enjoy the entire meal without being able to see what is in front of you?
The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind invites you to find out at Dining in the Dark, a unique fundraising experience at Liliana’s Italian Kitchen in Cottleville, Missouri.
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:30 to 4:00 PM
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
3891 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, MO 63376
Cost: $50 per person
Dining in the Dark is much more than dinner. Guests will be provided with blindfolds and invited to experience their meal without the use of sight. Suddenly, familiar activities such as locating your silverware, pouring a drink, identifying the food on your plate, and carrying on a conversation take on an entirely different dimension.
It is an experience built around trust, taste and understanding.
During the event, a member of the 4-Rivers Council of the Blind will speak about blindness, independence and what everyday life is really like for someone who is blind or visually impaired. Guests will also have an opportunity to participate in a small silent auction featuring several baskets.
What’s for Dinner?
Your Dining in the Dark meal includes an appetizer and house salad, followed by your choice of:
Spaghetti
Beef Tortellini
Pasta Con Broccoli
Dinner also includes dessert and your choice of water, tea or a fountain Coke product.
About the 4-Rivers Council of the Blind
The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind was organized in 2024 and is the only online affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind.
Transportation is one of the greatest barriers faced by people who are blind or visually impaired. Rather than requiring members to travel to a physical meeting every month, 4-Rivers conducts its regular meetings by conference call, allowing people from throughout Missouri to participate. Members also gather several times during the year for social activities, educational opportunities and fundraising events.
Our mission goes far beyond holding meetings.
The 4-Rivers Council provides educational, technological and personal support to people experiencing the life-changing effects of vision loss. Members share their knowledge of programs, resources and services available to Missourians who are blind or visually impaired and help individuals discover that losing their sight does not mean losing their independence.
Whenever resources permit, the Council also assists with adaptive technology and other needs that can help a blind or visually impaired person live a more independent life.
Your Dinner Can Make a Difference
By attending Dining in the Dark, you aren't simply purchasing a meal.
You are supporting an organization working to help people facing vision loss discover the resources, technology, encouragement and opportunities they need to remain independent.
At the same time, you will experience something most people have never tried: sitting down to an entire meal and relying on your other senses rather than your eyes.
Come hungry. Come curious. And be prepared to see dining from an entirely different perspective—without seeing at all.
About Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen is a family-owned Italian-American restaurant operated by Tim and Kathy Pieri and named for their daughter, Liliana. With decades of restaurant experience behind it, Liliana’s was created around a simple idea: serve fresh, home-style food in a warm and welcoming family atmosphere.
The restaurant specializes in the kind of Italian comfort food St. Louisans know and love, including hearty pastas, meat sauces, Provel cheese, cream sauces, toasted ravioli, pizza, lasagna and other Italian-American favorites.
For Dining in the Dark, guests will gather in Liliana’s private dining room for an afternoon that we hope they will remember long after the blindfolds come off.
Dining in the Dark
An Experience of Trust, Taste, and Understanding
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:30–4:00 PM
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
3891 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, Missouri 63376
Tickets: $50 per person
For tickets or additional information, contact:
Denny Huff, President
4-Rivers Council of the Blind
636-428-1500
[email protected]
PayPal payment and donations are available by QR code.
Please share this announcement with your family and friends. Seating will be limited, so make plans to join us for an afternoon of good food, fellowship and a greater understanding of life without sight.
Help us make a life more independent—one person at a time.

08/06/2026

DINING IN THE DARK
An Experience of Trust, Taste, and Understanding
What would it be like to sit down to a delicious Italian dinner—and enjoy the entire meal without being able to see what is in front of you?
The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind invites you to find out at Dining in the Dark, a unique fundraising experience at Liliana’s Italian Kitchen in Cottleville, Missouri.
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:30 to 4:00 PM
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
3891 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, MO 63376
Cost: $50 per person
Dining in the Dark is much more than dinner. Guests will be provided with blindfolds and invited to experience their meal without the use of sight. Suddenly, familiar activities such as locating your silverware, pouring a drink, identifying the food on your plate, and carrying on a conversation take on an entirely different dimension.
It is an experience built around trust, taste and understanding.
During the event, a member of the 4-Rivers Council of the Blind will speak about blindness, independence and what everyday life is really like for someone who is blind or visually impaired. Guests will also have an opportunity to participate in a small silent auction featuring several baskets.
What’s for Dinner?
Your Dining in the Dark meal includes an appetizer and house salad, followed by your choice of:
Spaghetti
Beef Tortellini
Pasta Con Broccoli
Dinner also includes dessert and your choice of water, tea or a fountain Coke product.
About Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen is a family-owned Italian-American restaurant operated by Tim and Kathy Pieri and named for their daughter, Liliana. With decades of restaurant experience behind it, Liliana’s was created around a simple idea: serve fresh, home-style food in a warm and welcoming family atmosphere.
The restaurant specializes in the kind of Italian comfort food St. Louisans know and love, including hearty pastas, meat sauces, Provel cheese, cream sauces, toasted ravioli, pizza, lasagna and other Italian-American favorites.
For Dining in the Dark, guests will gather in Liliana’s private dining room for an afternoon that we hope they will remember long after the blindfolds come off.
About the 4-Rivers Council of the Blind
The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind was organized in 2024 and is the only online affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind.
Transportation is one of the greatest barriers faced by people who are blind or visually impaired. Rather than requiring members to travel to a physical meeting every month, 4-Rivers conducts its regular meetings by conference call, allowing people from throughout Missouri to participate. Members also gather several times during the year for social activities, educational opportunities and fundraising events.
Our mission goes far beyond holding meetings.
The 4-Rivers Council provides educational, technological and personal support to people experiencing the life-changing effects of vision loss. Members share their knowledge of programs, resources and services available to Missourians who are blind or visually impaired and help individuals discover that losing their sight does not mean losing their independence.
Whenever resources permit, the Council also assists with adaptive technology and other needs that can help a blind or visually impaired person live a more independent life.
Your Dinner Can Make a Difference
By attending Dining in the Dark, you aren't simply purchasing a meal.
You are supporting an organization working to help people facing vision loss discover the resources, technology, encouragement and opportunities they need to remain independent.
At the same time, you will experience something most people have never tried: sitting down to an entire meal and relying on your other senses rather than your eyes.
Come hungry. Come curious. And be prepared to see dining from an entirely different perspective—without seeing at all.
Dining in the Dark
An Experience of Trust, Taste, and Understanding
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:30–4:00 PM
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
3891 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, Missouri 63376
Tickets: $50 per person
For tickets or additional information, contact:
Denny Huff, President
4-Rivers Council of the Blind
636-428-1500
[email protected]
PayPal payment and donations are available by QR code.
Please share this announcement with your family and friends. Seating will be limited, so make plans to join us for an afternoon of good food, fellowship and a greater understanding of life without sight.
Help us make a life more independent—one person at a time.

08/04/2026

4-Rivers Council of the Blind
Join us for our monthly affiliate meeting. Meeting info below.

Where does one turn when their vision begins to fail, and their world begins to turn dark? The loss of part or all vision means that some new skills may be needed, and old skills relearned. The adjustments that you make to your new lifestyle will give you the best chance for a successful, satisfying and independent life. Alternatives to the sighted way of accomplishing tasks are as varied as one person is different from another.

Blindness does not mean that you are resigned to be dependent on others. Today you have a variety of choices. With the right education and training, a blind person need not be a burden on their family or community. Although loved ones tend to be over-protective, you soon find yourself becoming more independent as you pursue new skills and interests as well as continue old ones with confidence.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU? The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind is a support group that can provide information that helps guide you through the maze of questions that will arise as you build your new lifestyle.
Areas covered provide information about scholarships, summer camps, special services programs, adaptive technology, youth services, employment, legislation advocacy and public awareness programs.

Join us tonight at 7:00 PM to hear how we can help those that are dealing with the loss of their sight. You need not be a member to participate.
Our membership consists of blind and visually impaired residents of Missouri, their family and friends and those that want to be of service to the blind. If you would like to be a member of the 4-Rivers Council of the blind you can call our president, Denny Huff for more information. His number is, 636-428-1500 or you can email him at, [email protected].
Join our monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM. We meet via conference call at 559-671-2796, no pass code needed.
All are welcome!

08/02/2026

DINING IN THE DARK
An Experience of Trust, Taste, and Understanding
What would it be like to sit down to a delicious Italian dinner—and enjoy the entire meal without being able to see what is in front of you?
The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind invites you to find out at Dining in the Dark, a unique fundraising experience at Liliana’s Italian Kitchen in Cottleville, Missouri.
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:30 to 4:00 PM
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
3891 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, MO 63376
Cost: $50 per person
Dining in the Dark is much more than dinner. Guests will be provided with blindfolds and invited to experience their meal without the use of sight. Suddenly, familiar activities such as locating your silverware, pouring a drink, identifying the food on your plate, and carrying on a conversation take on an entirely different dimension.
It is an experience built around trust, taste and understanding.
During the event, a member of the 4-Rivers Council of the Blind will speak about blindness, independence and what everyday life is really like for someone who is blind or visually impaired. Guests will also have an opportunity to participate in a small silent auction featuring several baskets.
What’s for Dinner?
Your Dining in the Dark meal includes an appetizer and house salad, followed by your choice of:
Spaghetti
Beef Tortellini
Pasta Con Broccoli
Dinner also includes dessert and your choice of water, tea or a fountain Coke product.
About Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen is a family-owned Italian-American restaurant operated by Tim and Kathy Pieri and named for their daughter, Liliana. With decades of restaurant experience behind it, Liliana’s was created around a simple idea: serve fresh, home-style food in a warm and welcoming family atmosphere.
The restaurant specializes in the kind of Italian comfort food St. Louisans know and love, including hearty pastas, meat sauces, Provel cheese, cream sauces, toasted ravioli, pizza, lasagna and other Italian-American favorites.
For Dining in the Dark, guests will gather in Liliana’s private dining room for an afternoon that we hope they will remember long after the blindfolds come off.
About the 4-Rivers Council of the Blind
The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind was organized in 2024 and is the only online affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind.
Transportation is one of the greatest barriers faced by people who are blind or visually impaired. Rather than requiring members to travel to a physical meeting every month, 4-Rivers conducts its regular meetings by conference call, allowing people from throughout Missouri to participate. Members also gather several times during the year for social activities, educational opportunities and fundraising events.
Our mission goes far beyond holding meetings.
The 4-Rivers Council provides educational, technological and personal support to people experiencing the life-changing effects of vision loss. Members share their knowledge of programs, resources and services available to Missourians who are blind or visually impaired and help individuals discover that losing their sight does not mean losing their independence.
Whenever resources permit, the Council also assists with adaptive technology and other needs that can help a blind or visually impaired person live a more independent life.
Your Dinner Can Make a Difference
By attending Dining in the Dark, you aren't simply purchasing a meal.
You are supporting an organization working to help people facing vision loss discover the resources, technology, encouragement and opportunities they need to remain independent.
At the same time, you will experience something most people have never tried: sitting down to an entire meal and relying on your other senses rather than your eyes.
Come hungry. Come curious. And be prepared to see dining from an entirely different perspective—without seeing at all.
Dining in the Dark
An Experience of Trust, Taste, and Understanding
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:30–4:00 PM
Liliana’s Italian Kitchen
3891 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, Missouri 63376
Tickets: $50 per person
For tickets or additional information, contact:
Denny Huff, President
4-Rivers Council of the Blind
636-428-1500
[email protected]
PayPal payment and donations are available by QR code.
Please share this announcement with your family and friends. Seating will be limited, so make plans to join us for an afternoon of good food, fellowship and a greater understanding of life without sight.
Help us make a life more independent—one person at a time.

08/02/2026

08/01/2026

4-Rivers Council of the Blind
Join us for our monthly affiliate meeting. Meeting info below.

Where does one turn when their vision begins to fail, and their world begins to turn dark? The loss of part or all vision means that some new skills may be needed, and old skills relearned. The adjustments that you make to your new lifestyle will give you the best chance for a successful, satisfying and independent life. Alternatives to the sighted way of accomplishing tasks are as varied as one person is different from another.

Blindness does not mean that you are resigned to be dependent on others. Today you have a variety of choices. With the right education and training, a blind person need not be a burden on their family or community. Although loved ones tend to be over-protective, you soon find yourself becoming more independent as you pursue new skills and interests as well as continue old ones with confidence.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU? The 4-Rivers Council of the Blind is a support group that can provide information that helps guide you through the maze of questions that will arise as you build your new lifestyle.
Areas covered provide information about scholarships, summer camps, special services programs, adaptive technology, youth services, employment, legislation advocacy and public awareness programs.

Join us on the first Tuesday of each month to hear how we can help those that are dealing with the loss of their sight. You need not be a member to participate.
Our membership consists of blind and visually impaired residents of Missouri, their family and friends and those that want to be of service to the blind. If you would like to be a member of the 4-Rivers Council of the blind you can call our president, Denny Huff for more information. His number is, 636-428-1500 or you can email him at, [email protected].

First Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM.
559-671-2796, no access code needed.
Hope to hear you there.

04/05/2026