The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club uses the money we raise during our local projects, like the annual Shrimp Festival, to benefit those in need in the local community. Our club sponsors every single school nurse in Lee County through the school nurses Sight for Students program. This sponsorship allows the nurses to give students, whose families do not have the means to provide the necessary care, with vouchers for free eye exams and glasses at area doctors.

The program is mandated by the Department of Health to have screenings for children in grades K, 1, 3 & 6. The school nurses screen students with a SPOT vision screener that takes a picture of the students eyes and from that picture they can determine if there any issues with the eyes. With that, they get an initial report that’s printed out immediately, and if any issues arise, they then know if they need to send the student to an ophthalmologist to get a more comprehensive eye exam. From those students that get a referral, the nurses are able to give students, who are unable to get the exam or glasses due financial needs, a voucher that will cover the expenses. This is through the Vision Service Program to refer them out.

In 2018, Lee County school nurses screened 28,235 of the 92,000 students in grades k through 12. Of those screenings, 3,324 students were found to have some sort of vision deficiency, and from those students about 75% had to receive glasses. From that, 20% were serviced and received glasses through a voucher that the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club sponsored. In turn, there were 600-700 students in Lee County that the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club provided a comprehensive eye exam and glasses to.