Who Will Be the 10,000 Student to Be Screened at the Lions Club Visual Screening Event?
The Eatontown Lions Club will begin its sixth year of free vision screening on September 14, 2023, partnering with the Eatontown and Ocean Township School Districts. Working with school nurses, the eight-member Eye Squad performs vision screenings annually in September and October for students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The Lions club is looking forward to its 10,000th free vision screening on an Eatontown Student at the Memorial School.
“We only need to screen 140 more students to reach 10,000,” said Lion Carl Lillvik, the Club’s Eye Squad Leader.
Scott T. McCue, Superintendent Eatontown Public Schools, said, “We really appreciate your help as well as the support of the Lions. Your work and partnership with us make a difference. The vision screening process and the resources the Lions provide to our students if a vision problem is discovered help our students to be in a better position to learn and succeed. Thank you.”
More than 12 million school-age children in the United States have some form of vision problem. Many vision problems run the risk of becoming permanent if not corrected by the time the eye reaches full maturity. Vision also plays an important role in education. According to educational experts, 80 percent of learning is visual.
Lions Club President Linda Butler said, “Early screening leads to early detection, which helps ensure that children get the follow-up care they need. We want to make sure that correctible vision problems don’t stand in the way of our children learning and seeing the world clearly.”
Vision Screening is part of a nationwide initiative called Lions KidSight USA, a national coalition that brings together Lions programs that screen children from 6 months on. KidSight USA was developed by Lions in the U.S. to protect the eye health of America’s children in their early years. Lions in the U.S. currently screen more than 500,000 children per year. Learn more about Lions KidSight USA at KidSightUSA.org.
About the Lions Club: Lions Clubs International is the largest service club organization in the world. Its 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs are serving communities in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the globe. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired, championed youth initiatives, and strengthened local communities through hands-on service and humanitarian projects. Learn more about Lions Clubs International at lionsclubs.org.