HISTORY OF OUR LIONS DISTRICT 2-S3 KIDSIGHT PROGRAM

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In 2008 Governor Charles Handrick and Lion Sam Johnson began a pilot program to test the viability of screening one to four year old children for eye problems with a photoscreening device.  The project was deemed a success, and in February, 2009 Governor Handrick sent a letter to the Clubs in our District asking for help in order to purchase a “Digital Eye Screening Unit” for the District’s newly formed Early Childhood Vision Screening Program.  Our first Pediatric Photoscreener was purchased in August, 2009, and Lion Sam Johnson began organizing and holding Vision Screenings in the District.

 

At that time local Clubs paid a $200 fee to District2-S3 Charities, Inc. in order to hold a screening and all of the screenings were performed by members of The Registered Opticians Association of Texas, Inc. 

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In 2012, under Governor J.P. Kirksey, our Program was updated to the current “Lions District   2-S3 KidSight Program”.  The newly appointed KidSight Chairman, Lion Wayne Orlowski, began training individual Lions to hold their own screenings and fees were no longer charged by the District.  We also instituted a “Cost Sharing Agreement” with Clubs in the District, in which the District paid for half the cost of a “Spot Unit” if the remaining half was donated by a District Club.  The Spot Unit was then given to the donating Club as its “Custodian”.

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 In April of 2015, under Governor Len Heimer, our District received a $15,000 matching grant from LCIF which allowed us to purchase, in conjunction with the Cost Sharing Agreement, an additional 7 Spot Units.

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Our current KidSight Program, under Chairman IPDG Gary Fuchs, has 20 Spot Units which are available to all 51 of our Clubs in the District.  Through our Borrowing Agreement, Clubs can borrow a unit and the necessary equipment to hold a screening in their area.

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The Clubs in our District currently have over 200 Lions who are Welch Allyn certified Spot Vision screeners who will have screened over 16,000 children and referred over 2,500 for further treatment this year.