Submitted by the Lions Club of San Juan Island

The Lions Club of San Juan Island just completed our annual free eye screening to children in the San Juan Island elementary and middle schools and the Orcas Island elementary school. In all, over 300 children had their vision checked. Seventeen of the children were found to have vision problems and were referred for further examination to optometrists including Dr. Chris White, a member of the Lions Club of San Juan Island and a participant in the eye screening program.

The screening used a Plus Optic machine and a smartphone app that is being tested to help people identify visual problems in young children; and will eventually be available to everyone for free. The Lions Team, led by Gary Franklin and past Lions Club Presidents Brian Brown and Dr. Bob Williams, MD, ophthalmologist, provided this important free service to the school children.

Special thanks to the school nurses who coordinated the program.

An average of 4-5 percent of all children have conditions that will result in serious vision problems. The smartphone app now in development by the Lions Club’s Gary Franklin and the San Juan Island Lions Club will allow any parent or adult to check for conditions of various vision problems in children by simply taking a picture of the child’s eye.