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The Lions
SightFirst Foundation provides eye examinations, eyeglasses, eye
surgeries, and follow-up care to all children enrolled in the
Clark County School District, whose parents have no insurance
and no means to pay for those services.
The Lions
SightFirst Foundation is composed of all the Lions Clubs in
Southern Nevada; these clubs are Chartered by and are under the
jurisdiction of the International Association of Lions Clubs,
A.K.A. Lions Clubs International, District 46. LCI is the
world’s largest service organization with nearly 1.4 million
members in 200 countries and geographical areas.
The
foundation is the successor organization to the Southern Nevada
Lions Sight Conservation Committee. The committee was
reorganized in 2005 to accommodate more extensive programs that
are totally free-of-charge to the recipients. All the eye care
projects of the different clubs in the area are now conducted by
the foundation, thus, making it much easier and faster for
children of the disadvantaged, the uninsured, and the
underinsured to receive care.
Prevent
Blindness America’s statistics indicate that vision problems
affect 1 in 4 school-aged children in the United States, which
of course, also affect their ability to learn. Lions SightFirst
Foundation aims to drastically change that number, at least,
here in Southern Nevada.
Noni Rybka,
the foundation’s programs director and coordinator works with
school nurses, counselors and student success advocates.
Children referred to the program receive exams from one day to
two weeks time. The foundation also conducts vision screenings
for adults, as well as follow-up care.
Lions
SightFirst Foundation has a 501 (c) 3 determination from the
I.R.S. It receives no monies from the county, city, state or any
governmental entity. It is solely funded by Lions Clubs of
Southern Nevada, and other private donations.
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