The Albert Lea Lakeview Lions partnered with Albert Lea’s The Children’s Center on Sept. 19 and Sept. 21 to provide free vision screenings for young children. Seventy-five children were screened by Lions club members at the event, which took place at the James  Avenue and St. John’s sites.

According to a press release, more than 12 million school-age children in the United States have some form of vision problem, yet only one in three have received eye care services before age six. Many vision problems run the risk of becoming permanent if not corrected by age seven, when the eye reaches full maturity. Vision also plays an important role in education. According to educational experts, 80 percent of learning is visual.

“Early screening leads to early detection, which helps ensure that children get the follow-up care they need,” said Meg Tibodeau, Lakeview Lions president. “We want to make sure that correctible vision problems don’t stand in the way of our children learning and seeing the world clearly.”

For information about future screenings or to learn more about the Lakeview Lions and its service projects, contact project chairwoman Lioba Forman at 507-373-0498 or liobaforman.gmail.com.

The screening event is part of a nationwide initiative  called Lions KidSight USA, a national coalition that brings together Lions programs that screen children from 6 months to 6 years of age.

KidSight USA was developed by Lions in the U.S.  to protect eye health of America’s children in their early years. Lions in the U.S. currently screen more than 500,000 children per year. To learn more about Lions KidSight USA, visit KidSightUSA.org.