by David Evangelista
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Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver accepts a US$3.85 million grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation from Clem Kusiak, President of International Association of Lions Clubs (left). (Photo by Stephen Corbin) |
During the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Clem Kusiak, President of International Association of Lions Clubs, presented Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver with a check for US$3.85 million to continue the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program. Since 2001, the Lions Clubs has provided grant support of more than US$9 million to Special Olympics for Opening Eyes.
“The lack of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common health conditions directly affects the physical performance of individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as the public’s perceptions of their capabilities and competence in every aspect of life,” said Dr. Stephen Corbin, Dean of Special Olympics University. “We are excited about the opportunity to train current and future health-care professionals so we can improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and help break down the barriers to inclusion.”
Opening Eyes volunteers at the World Winter Games had plenty of opportunities to improve lives. In fact, the volunteers had at least 871 chances to impact the life of a Special Olympic athlete during their time in Nagano as they conducted 871 vision screenings. Their success was a powerful example of the impact of the international partnership between Special Olympics and Lions Clubs International.
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At the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, 871 Special Olympics athletes, including this one from Special Olympics Belgium, received vision screenings through the Special Olympics-Lions Club International Opening Eyes® program. (Photo by Stephen Corbin) |
The World Winter Games also provided the opportunity to train Opening Eyes volunteers and health care professionals from around the globe. Kyung-Hwan Shin from South Korea was convinced by his local Lions Club of the importance of treating people with intellectual disabilities. In 2002, he participated and screened more than 200 athletes in his country’s Special Olympics Program. Shin was so successful and inspired that he brought three younger doctors from South Korea with him to Nagano to train so they will be ready to screen athletes in this year’s Regional Games.
Founded by New Jersey-based optometrist Dr. Paul Berman in 1991 as a way to “simply help those in need,” Opening Eyes has provided thousands of opportunities to vision care professionals from across the world to volunteer to provide free vision screenings for tens of thousands of Special Olympics athletes. In 2001, the Lions Clubs International Foundation awarded Special Olympics the first grant in its seven-year, US$9 million commitment; Lions Clubs also has supported the Opening Eyes program with volunteers from more than 50 countries. The partnership has attracted the sponsorship of leading companies within the optic industry: Essilor International, Safilo, S.p.A and Liberty Optical.
Through the leadership of Shriver and former Lions Clubs International Foundation Chairman Frank Moore, Special Olympics and Lions Clubs have partnered to deliver quality education focused on eye care for people with intellectual disabilities, resulting in “Opening Eyes to Intellectual Disability: Improving the Vision of Persons with Intellectual Disability,” a world-class academic curriculum. The curriculum was presented to Kusiak by Shriver in Nagano to demonstrate the level of commitment both organizations have made to the partnership.
This two-year project already has received commitments to implement the program from international associations and academic institutions, including the World Council of Optometry, the American Optometric Association, the Illinois College of Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College in China and many others.
“Meeting the athletes at Special Olympics has given me a new perspective of their capabilities and what they can do to show their strengths and achieve what they put their minds to,” said Kusiak. “I think Opening Eyes is a very important program that will always be with Lions and Special Olympics — working together.”
Opening Eyes will conduct screenings at more than 500 locations over the next three years, including the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China.
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