FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate
Dori Jennings
(614) 270-0746
[email protected]
Prevent Blindness Honors Damian Thomas and
RCF Group with Northeast Ohio
2024 People of Vision Award
February 12, 2024 (Cleveland, OH) Prevent Blindness Ohio was proud to honor Damian Thomas and RCF Group at a luncheon event at Windows on the River in Cleveland.
Since 1985, Prevent Blindness Ohio (PBO) has recognized and awarded select organizations and their leaders for visionary leadership and community service. The People of Vision event has become one of Northeast Ohio’s premier charitable events in support of PBO and its mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight.
As last year’s honoree, Kim Riley and Hylant chaired the event and presented the 2024 award to Damian Thomas, RCF Group’s Market President. Riley asked that we join in celebrating Thomas and RCF Group for their extensive support in the Northeast Ohio community, including Thomas currently serving on the Team NEO Board of Directors, the Cleveland Leadership Center Board of Trustees, the Leadership Cleveland Advisory Committee and Greater Cleveland Partnerships Minority Business Growth Committee.
With locations in Cincinnati (Corporate Headquarters), Cleveland and Louisville, RCF Group focuses on providing tailored and comprehensive workplace solutions. RCF Group is one of less than 200 minority businesses given the designation of Corporate Plus by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), an acknowledgement of their capacity to execute national contracts for major corporations.
Thomas addressed the guests telling his story of humble beginnings, weaving in a theme of the importance of “seeing” all people in their entirety and accepting them as they are. “It is truly humbling to follow in the footsteps of the esteemed individuals who have been recognized by Prevent Blindness Ohio for their vision for our community,” Thomas said. “My hope is that the work I have done and continue to do, will one day have a similar reach to the work of those individuals.”
PBO also took the opportunity to recognize Project H.O.P.E. of Cleveland, Inc. with the Community Partner in Vision Award, for their critical role in bringing vision care to medically underserved areas in Ohio.
“Prevent Blindness Ohio is proud to honor Damian Thomas and the RCF Group with the 2024 Northeast Ohio People of Vision Award and Project H.O.P.E. of Cleveland as a Community Partner in Vision,” Amy Pulles, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio, stated. “Half of all blindness is preventable, and the number of individuals who are blind or visually impaired is expected continue to grow exponentially if nothing is done to address the problem. Furthermore, it is estimated that the economic impact of visual disorders and disabilities costs approximately $6.1 billion annually in Ohio,” she explained.
About Prevent Blindness Ohio
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 serves all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to 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 contribute, call 800-301-2020 or donate here. Visit us at pbohio.org. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/pbohio/ and X: twitter.com/PB_Ohio
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