FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate
Taylor Elder
Phone: 800-301-2020 ext.105
E-mail: [email protected]
Kingston HealthCare Company and George Rumman Honored at the 2019 People of Vision Award Dinner Program
Maumee, OH (March 22, 2019) – Kingston HealthCare Company and George Rumman, President and CEO, were recognized for their outstanding visionary leadership and philanthropic work at the Prevent Blindness Northwest Ohio Chapter’s 16th Annual People of Vision Award Dinner. Kuhlman Corporation and Tim Goligoski, President, who served as the Chair of the event, presented the award. Dan Cummins, news anchor for WTOL 11, served as emcee.
Nearly 140 people attended the event held at The Pinnacle in Maumee on March 20th. $55,000 was raised to support the sight-saving programs of Prevent Blindness including vision screening training for schools, health departments and organizations in the aging network along with advocacy for public policies to widen access to vision care for all.
The People of Vision Award was established in 1985 by the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness to honor and recognize visionary organizations and their top leadership for the outstanding work they have undertaken to enhance the quality of life within their communities. The premise of the People of Vision Award is that our community is enriched by such leadership that reflects a “vision of community” to be celebrated and emulated. It has been recognized as one of the area’s premier charitable events.
“Kingston HealthCare Company and George Rumman possess an exemplary commitment to serving our community and providing resources to people in need living in the Northwest Ohio region,” said Nick Stack, Chair of the Prevent Blindness Northwest Ohio Chapter Executive Council. “Their support of the community provides a strong foundation for families to build upon and Prevent Blindness is proud to honor them with this award,” he added.
Rhonda Stoner, Licensed Social Worker at the Wood County Health Department Community Health Center, spoke of her organization and their working relationship with Prevent Blindness. The Wood County Community Health Center provides primary care for individuals in the community, which includes social services. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness and the Wood County Community Center collaborate to provide vision care services to patients who are underinsured or not insured.
Annually, the Wood County Community Health Center and Prevent Blindness partner for Project Connect, a volunteer program through the Continuum of Care (CoC). During this event, Darcy Downie, the Northwest Ohio Chapter Director of Prevent Blindness, conducts certified vision screenings and helps connect individuals with appropriate vision care, through the Vision Care Outreach program provided by Prevent Blindness.
Half of all blindness is preventable and the number of blind and visually impaired is expected to double by the year 2030 if nothing is done to address the problem. Furthermore, it is estimated that the economic impact of visual disorders and disabilities costs approximately $5.4 billion annually in Ohio.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness is Ohio’s leading volunteer nonprofit public health organization dedicated to prevent blindness and preserve sight. We serve all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 1,000,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. For more information or to make a contribution, call 800-301-2020. Or, visit us on the web at www.pbohio.org or facebook.com/pbohio and Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/PB_Ohio.