Eyeglass clinic in Lyndonville serves about 75, offering new glasses and screenings

Photos by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE – David Dent of Lyndonville tries on an eyeglass frame today at the White Birch Golf Course, which hosted the second annual pop-up eyeglass clinic. The event was organized by the Lyndonville Lions Club and included volunteers from several Lions Club in Western New York, including Cindy Kraus, left, of the Kenmore Lions Club.

A team of eye specialists – state-licensed doctors of ophthalmology and optometry – were on site to determine the correct prescription glasses for each individual. They also did screenings for glaucoma.

Dent, 52, said he has never needed glasses before but noticed his vision hasn’t been as sharp lately. He will be getting glasses to make his vision clearer.

Dr. Nancy Ciavarri, a family physician and member of the Lyndonville Lions Club, volunteered at today’s event, helping people to pick frames.

Last year’s debut event included 250 people who quickly lined up. Today was more spread out.

The glasses for people should be ready for pickup in about three weeks, a much shorter wait than the 11 weeks last year.

Dr. Duane Snyder, an optometrist, does an eye exam. The Lions clubs in WNY do three of the pop-up clinics each year with events in Kenmore, Lyndonville and Niagara Falls.

Today there were three opticians, two optometrists and an ophthalmologist in Lyndonville, donating their time.

A woman smiles while trying on frames today. Many of the frames are donated at Lions eye glass collection sites throughout WNY.

The lenses are donated through the EssilorLusottica Foundation.

Today’s eyeglass clinic included the debut of an iCare 200 tonometry machine, a handheld machine that measures intraocular pressure. The tonometry machine will allow for glaucoma screenings. Glaucoma is one of the most common forms of preventable blindness in the United States. Four people today were recommended to get more testing for glaucoma.