Local Rotarians distribute eyeglasses in Belize
Paso Robles Rotary Club helps at Belize eyeglass clinic
Paso Robles Rotary Club President Gail Tannehill was joined recently by six other local Rotarians and family members for a hands-on eyeglass clinic sponsored by the club in Belize.
Over 270 pairs of new glasses were distributed to needy members of the Belize City community. The team was assisted by travel arrangements made by Tannehill and two Templeton Rotarians, Georgia Vreeken and Will vanKranenburg, who have extensive experience with humanitarian projects in Central and South America.
Locals started lining up at 5 a.m. the morning for the clinic. Every person was examined and provided glass for reading or distance, or both. Those who needed expertise beyond the capabilities of the team (cataracts, astigmatism, etc.) were provided business cards for a free exam at the Belize Council for the Visual Impaired.
The remainder of the 500 pairs of glasses not distributed were given to the local Leo Club members who were trained at the clinic so they can distribute at a later date.
The local host was “Cisco” Woods, the past president of the Belize Rotary Club. Woods does many community projects including managing the only prison in Belize, creating the first emergency response vehicle service and developing a woman’s shelter. He also provided the team a boat trip to Caye Caulker island for a Rotary fundraiser and museum tour as well.
The team also got the opportunity to stay at a jungle resort, go tubing through caves, visit Mayan temples at Tikal, and go snorkeling in Placencia.