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Ed Fjordbak, president and CEO of Essilor Vision Foundation; Laurie Evans, Director of Libraries; Jacques Stoerr, chairman of the foundation; Mrs. Laura Bush; and Patrick Esquerre, foundation board member and event organizer.
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The Dallas Public Library hosts Mrs. Laura W. Bush at Essilor Foundation's Kids Vision Fest
The Dallas Public Library hosted the Essilor Vision Foundation and the Kids Vision For Life Coalition on January 19 at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. More than 1,000 children were screened at the free festival, and approximately 500 kids received free eye exams and glasses.
Former first lady Mrs. Laura Bush was the guest of honor at Vision Fest and she spoke about the importance of good vision care. “As a former teacher and librarian, I appreciate the importance of eye exams for students. When a child cannot see well, he or she cannot learn well. Learning to read is fundamental for education, and being able to see clearly is vital to literacy,” said Mrs. Laura Bush.
If vision problems aren’t addressed, research suggests children may face lifelong struggles with literacy, low self-esteem, unemployment, poverty and crime. The surprising reality is that one in four American children has an uncorrected vision problem – and the number can climb much higher in inner-city communities – yet research shows a large number of those children are not wearing glasses today. In fact, Essilor Vision Foundation found that 78% of the incarcerated youth in two of the Dallas County Juvenile Justice facilities had at least one vision problem.
Free and open to the general public, Kids Vision Fest provided free vision screenings to all children. Free eye exams and new glasses – featuring the latest styles in eyeglass frames provided by Nouveau Eyewear – were offered to children ages 4 to 12 unable currently cannot afford vision care and do not qualify for other programs such as Medicaid.
Mrs. Bush began her visit to Kids Vision Fest by touring the Essilor Vision Foundation/Alcon Foundation’s Mobile Vision Van, a “vision clinic on wheels” where eye doctors conducted eye exams, children selected eyeglass frames, and glasses were edged and fitted. After visiting with children in the games and activities areas, she read the book co-authored with her daughter Jenna Bush Hager – Read All About It! – to 20 children from the West Dallas Community School.
During the media event, Mrs. Bush was joined by Laurie Evans, director of Dallas Public Libraries; Dallas ISD Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa; Dallas County District Judge Cheryl Shannon; and Laura Leppert, wife of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, to address the importance of good vision care for children.
Patrick Esquerre, founder of La Madeleine restaurants, is an Essilor Vision Foundation board member and was the event organizer. More than 150 volunteers from a variety of businesses and organizations were on hand to assist with registration, screening and the various activities.
Founded in 2007, Essilor Vision Foundation is a public charity established by Dallas-based Essilor of America, the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences. Specifically, the Foundation provides free eye exams and new prescription eyewear through in-school and partnership programs to children who cannot get them otherwise. It also educates parents, teachers, caregivers, and community leaders to be aware of the implications of poor vision and watch for signs of vision problems in children.
