Remembering Elizabeth Taylor

With the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, the world lost not only a great actress but also a gracious and generous benefactor and philanthropist. Miss Taylor is well known for her work to fight HIV/AIDS, but less known for her contribution to Eye Care in developing countries.

As the International Eye Foundation celebrates its 50th Anniversary of Blindness Prevention and Sight Restoration worlwide, we look back with thanks to the support of Elizabeth Taylor over the years. We remeber when he hosted our 1977 "Eye Ball" gala with her then husband Senator John Warner. What a wonderful evening, she was magnanimous and magnificent!

IEF Board Member Larry Schwab blows his own trumpet!

IEF is fortunate to have Board members who work behind the scenes bringing their diverse interests and talents to the organization. One thing we rarely see is them out in public and blowing their own horns (sic).

Long time Board member, IEF volunteer and renowned ophthalmologist Larry Schwab, whose book Eye Care in Developing Nations is now in its 4th edition, is however the exception.

Larry grew up in West Virginia, and gained both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University and was a member of the band in his student days. His love of music continues unabated and he can be heard playing his trumpet in the pep band at all the basketball games. Anyone who watched the West Virgina-Clemson game NCAA game on TV would have been treated to some great close-ups of the 70 year old Larry playing the school fight songs at half time along with his fellow and younger, Mountaineer Band members. A delightful article also appeared in the Tampa Tribune. click link to see the full story. www.2tbo.com/content/2011/mar/17/171823

Alexandria Lions Club - Gift to Mectizan Program

Founded in 1931, the Alexandria Lions Club was the first Lions Club to be formed in Virgina.

IEF's President and CEO, Victoria Sheffield was invited to speak at the clubs luncheon meeting last November where she gave an overview of IEF's activites around the world.

One of the programs that Victoria talked about was IEF's program in Cameroon that controls the heartbreaking blinding disease Onchocerasis (commonly known as River Blindness) through the wonder drug Mectizan.

The drug is donated by it's manufacturer Merck and Company to NGO'S who distribute it through a network of community organizers. In 2009, IEF successfully treated 95% of the eligible population in the Adouame Provice of Cameroon - almost one million people avoided blindness because they received doses of Mectian.

In recognition of IEF's work in preventing blindness, the Alexandria Lions Club this week made a generous donation in support of the River Blindness Prevention Program. We thank them on behalf of the women, children and families in Cameroon who will rceive their annual preventative doses this year.

Celebrate Sight - 50th Anniversary Celebration - June 11, 2011

For half a century IEF has been fufilling it's mission of restoring sight and preventing blindness worldwide.

Join old friends and new at the glorious Organization of American States in Washington DC for an evening of festivities marking IEF's Golden Anniversary.

Hall of the Americas
Organization of American States
17th Street & Constitution Avenue
Washington, DC

Saturday - June 11, 2011

Dining and Dancing - 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Silent auction - 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.

For more Information and to order tickets:
Call Calvin Baerveldt 240-290-0263 x 118
or e-mail: cbaerveldt@iefusa.org

International Eye Foundation
10801 Connecticut Avenue
Kensington, Maryland 20895