High Country residents are invited to have their eyes and ears examined for free when the Boone Area Lions Club hosts the NC Lions Mobile Screening Unit. The unit will be in the Walmart parking lot in Boone on Saturday, September 5 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Masks are required and all virus precautions will be followed.xzcs4 Do not plan to attend if you feel ill. Lions brooms will also be on sale.
Lions are dedicated to combating the leading causes of blindness and assist in preserving vision as well as providing assistance and support to visually and hearing impaired residents of the High Country. The Screening Unit is a statewide project of North Carolina Lions, Inc. and is actually a 60 foot customized van fully equipped to offer free vision and hearing screening. The service will only be a screening not a full eye examination and includes a visual acuity test to test both near and far vision, a field vision test to see how well a person sees motion in the field of vision while looking at a fixed object, and a pressure check for the possibility of glaucoma. If other eye problems are discovered by an on-site examination by an eye care professional the person will be referred for further examination to a professional eye care specialist of his or her choice. The screening lasts no more than 20 minutes and is an important part of the early detection of serious eye problems. Participants must be at least 6 years old and minors under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the registration form.
Lions Clubs also collect and recycle glasses and hearing aids for individuals in third world countries. There will be a collection box available for donations at the screening. Donations may also be made at vision center offices and the public library in Boone. The World Health Organization estimates that the eyesight of one-fourth of the world’s population can be improved through the use of corrective lenses. Unfortunately, for many, a pair of glasses is both unaffordable and inaccessible. Used eyeglasses that are collected by Lions are recycled at one of nine Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers throughout the world. The used eyeglasses are cleaned, repaired and classified by prescription. The eyeglasses are then distributed to those in need by Lion volunteers and other organizations hosting optical missions in developing countries.
The International Association of Lions Clubs was established in 1917 in Chicago. In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions international convention and challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” From this time, Lions clubs have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually impaired. Lions clubs meet the needs of their local communities and the world. Over 1.3 million men and women in over 200 countries and geographic areas conduct vision and health screenings, build parks, support eye hospitals, award scholarships, assist youth, provide help in time of disaster and much more.
The Boone Area Lions Club is scheduled to meet on the first and third Tuesdays at 12:00 pm at the Sagebrush Steak House but is currently meeting on line and by phone during the Pandemic. For more information about the Boone Area Lions Club or the screening van, call Betsy Anderson at 828-262-0808.