Two young people who share a common struggle decided Tuesday night to spend the rest of their lives together.

Adam Fleeger of Butler and Crystal Schroth of Fenelton first met about one-and-a-half-years ago at a party hosted by the Cranberry Township Lions Club at the Blind Association of Butler County at the association’s building on North Cedar Street.

Fleeger and Schroth, who are both visually impaired, started dating shortly after that and going on Blind Association outings such as bowling nights.

On Tuesday, midway through a Lions Club party, Adam took the microphone from the master of ceremonies and asked Schroth a big question:

“Crystal, this is where we met, and this is where I want to ask you if you will spend the rest of your life with me,” he said.

To the delight of a room filled with family members, Lions Club members and Blind Association clients, she said yes.

Fleeger said he had been planning to propose for more than a year and members of the Lions club were in on the surprise.

They told Schroth that numerous extended family and friends were there because Fleeger’s birthday is later in the week.

Schroth said, “I was very surprised. I knew something was going on, but I didn’t know what.”

Adam’s mother, MaryAnn Fleeger, said the couple hopes to live on their own, but not far from family because neither of them can drive a car.

The support of the Blind Association and Lions Club members means a lot to her son, she said.

“Life wasn’t easy for him being bullied in school, but here he can relax and be himself,” she said.

Fleeger can see, but has double vision, lack of depth perception and dizziness from Meniere’s disease. Schroth can’t see as much, but is still able to function well, MaryAnn Fleeger said

“I think they’re going to compliment each other well. They are both triumphing through their problems,” she said.

Members of the Lions Club helped Fleeger set up the proposal and brought sparkling apple cider to help the couple toast their engagement.

“It’s very exciting. It’s two young people with vision impairments and they are going to start their life together,” club secretary Tim Roscoe said.

The Blind Association serves about 100 clients from Butler and Armstrong counties, executive director Jennifer Bindernagel said.

It provides vision screenings, support groups, social activities and career services.

There are a lot of visual impairments that people suffer, not just blindness, she said.

“Everybody is different and everybody sees something different,” she said.

Since 1925 it has been the mission of Lions Clubs around the world to help people affected by blindness and vision problems.

The Cranberry club holds parties, usually attended by about 70 visually impaired people from the area, twice a year at the Blind Association, Roscoe said.