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Dr. James Lenhart and two children with Girls Inc. of Sarasota share a fun moment together in the sight examination room. |
SARASOTA – Center For Sight of Southwest Florida proudly continued its philanthropic partnership with Girls Incorporated by donating free eye exams and eyewear for children in need. On Saturday, September 7th, a team of doctors, medical technicians, nurses and administrative staff donated their time and experience to examine and treat 21 girls free of charge.
The Center For Sight optometric physicians who participated were Dr. Trisha Werner, Dr. Thomas Brill, Dr. Melissa Hammond, Dr. Casey Maloney and Dr. James Lenhart.
To better accommodate the girls and their families, Center For Sight allocated a full day of time slots available for appointments at their Sarasota Tamiami Trail and Fruitville Road locations. For the children who required glasses following examination, Center For Sight donated a wide selection of durable, polycarbonate frames, and Transitions Optical, Inc donated unbreakable, non-glare, sun-transition prescription lenses.
“This has truly been a gift of sight for these girls who come from hardworking families, but do not have the means to see a physician regularly,” said Marisa Monroe, Director of Program Operations with Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County. “For many of our girls, this was their first eye exam outside of those performed at school. Thanks to Center For Sight, they finally got the proper care, treatment and attention they needed.”
“Eye examinations and care are such an important part of a child’s overall health,” said Dr. David Shoemaker, Founder, CEO and Director of Cataract and Lens Replacement Surgery. “All children deserve the opportunity to receive care when needed. This is our way of helping to make that happen.”
This latest collaboration marks a continuation of the philanthropic partnership forged between Center For Sight and Girls Incorporated. In May 2013, two children aged nine and eleven from Girls Inc. participated in a shadowing program during Mission Cataract 2013 – when Center For Sight performed over 100 free cataract surgeries for people with no insurance and unable to pay.
The girls had the opportunity to gain real world, on-location experience with the careers that interested them. One child had aspired to become a physician and the other a reporter, so they were given exclusive interviews with Dr. William Soscia, Cataract and Lens Replacement Surgeon, and Summer Smith, anchor and reporter with Bay News 9.
About Center For Sight
Currently with eight locations throughout Southwest Florida, Center For Sight is the nation’s leading multi-disciplinary physician group providing patients worldwide with advanced healthcare in ophthalmology, optometry, dermatology, cosmetic facial surgery and hearing services. Under the clinical direction of David W. Shoemaker, M.D., and William J. Lahners, M.D., F.A.C.S., Center For Sight serves Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties. For more information, visit CenterForSight.net
Grapevine Communications is a full-service, award-winning advertising, marketing and public relations firm based in Sarasota, Florida, and serving clients nationwide. The firm was awarded the 2010 Frank G. Berlin, Sr., Small Business Award by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. For more information on Grapevine Communications, contact Angela Massaro-Fain at AMF@grapeinc.com or 941-351-0024.