LAWRENCE CO. – Members of the four local Lions Clubs (Bedford, Bedford Noon, Fayetteville Community, and Mitchell) joined together, in vision screening teams of five to 12 trained Lions, for two weeks in October and one week in November to conduct vision screenings on students at 16 Lawrence County schools, screening one school in the morning and one school in the afternoon each day.
Working with the principals and nurses, the Lions helped complete the 2022 school year’s State of Indiana mandated school vision screenings for each school.
This was the 13th year the local Lions volunteered to do vision screenings in all schools. There were a total of 30 different Lions from the four clubs who volunteered to help this year. The Lions complete a certification-training program and donate all their time to performing screenings at the schools.
Each student’s eyes are screened for distance and near visual acuity using Optec optical testing machines for first, third, fifth, and eighth graders. The total number of students screened at North Lawrence Elementary and Middle Schools, Mitchell Elementary and Junior High Schools, St Vincent DePaul School, Lawrence County Independent Schools, Springville Community Academy, Stone City Christian Academy, JC Christian Academy, and Lawrence County Home Schools was 1,707 with 292 students being referred for vision problems to seek additional professional eye exams.
Many Lions Clubs throughout the state are now performing this valuable service for their community schools and children with great success and many others are working to get this great project started in their communities.
