Nearly 200 eye care professionals and volunteers from around the state joined together in Nashville for the Second Annual Celebration of Sight Gala presented by Prevent Blindness Tennessee (PBT), the Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology (TNAO), and the Tennessee Optometric Association (TOA), with support from SunTrust Bank, Genentech, Renasant Bank, Regions Bank, Allergan, and Choice Foods. Celebration of Sight is an event to recognize the contributions of those who work to prevent unnecessary blindness in children and adults, and to promote public education and awareness of eye health.
Chris Hensley, Teresa Ogletree, Brenda McClain, Tim Poser
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Dr. Brad Kehler, Paula and Wayne Harnack |
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At the gala, PBT, TNAO, and TOA presented 20/20 Lifetime of Service Awards to Rick Hart, James Elliott, M.D., and Michael Jones, O.D. for their exemplary contributions to the prevention of blindness. Additionally, Cathleen Lewis and her 12 year-old son Rex, who’s blind and counts as one of a handful of musical savants in the world, entertained the audience with their unique blend of spoken message and music.
George and Jennifer Gamble
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Gus Laux and Anna Jaap |
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Dr. James Elliott, Emeritus Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine stated, ‘So many Tennesseans are doing great work to improve the quality and availability of eye care and the ‘Celebration of Sight’ was a wonderful reminder of the progress we've made and the advancements we continue to make in this effort. I am honored to have been a part of such a memorable event.”
Lisa Harless, Regions Bank; Dr. James Elliott, TNAO honoree; Dr. Bruce Herron, The Eye Clinic- Jackson
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Leland Murphy, Allergan; Gary Odom, TOA Executive Director; Dr. Dennis Mathews, VRF Eye Specialty Group- Memphis |
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Bert Dale, Renasant Bank; Michael Shmerling, Choice Foods; Rick Hart, PBT honoree; Brenda McClain, PBT Board Chairman
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Cathleen Lewis and Rex Lewis-Clack, featured performers |
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Dr.'s Saundrett and Everton Arrindell
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Rob Milam, Tommy Ducklo, Beth Ducklo, Lauren Hatfield and Jay McClimans |
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Established in 1978, Prevent Blindness Tennessee is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight across the state of Tennessee through vision screenings, public and professional education, community services, programs, referrals, information, and research. We serve thousands of adults and tens of thousands of children each year. We Keep the SEE in TenneesSEE!
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