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June 16, 2006
Contact:
Katie Charter
Regional Manager
Iowa Lions Eye Bank
Work: 515-233-5110
Mobile: 515-450-0489
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Executive Director of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank Receives Warren Coleman Honorary Award
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Cindy Reed (left) with other 2006 Warren Coleman Honorees: Carol Ann Kirkbride and Dave Stouffer |
Iowa City, Iowa— Dr. Cynthia Reed, executive director of the Iowa Lions Eye Bank (ILEB), of Solon has received the Iowa Lions Foundation Warren Coleman Honorary Award in recognition for her commitment to serving Lionism.
The award is named for longtime Executive Secretary-Treasurer Warren Coleman, who was dedicated to the Iowa Lions Foundation and the programs they supported. This award is conferred on persons who demonstrate community service, and can only be made possible by a contribution of $1,000 to the Iowa Lions Foundation by a club or group supporting the honorary.
Dr. Cynthia Reed is a member of the University of Iowa Hospitals (UIHC) Lions Club. She recently received an appropriately designed plaque and a lapel pin acknowledging her humanitarian service.
The Iowa Lions support the ILEB, which was the first and remains the only eye bank in the state of Iowa, celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2005, making it one of the oldest eye banks in the country. ILEB is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the restoration and preservation of sight through the collection, processing and distribution of human ocular tissue to transplantation and research, primarily in Iowa, but also throughout the world.
“Thanks to the generosity of donors, more than 11,000 Iowans have had their sight restored, and 12,000 eyes have been provided to the University of Iowa researchers to discover causes and cures for blinding eye disease,” said Cindy Reed, R.N., Ph.D., Executive Director of the Eye Bank. “Our goal is to inform and encourage future eye donors who may also choose to give the gift of sight, and whose selflessness will mean a brighter future for many Iowans.”
The cornea is the clear outer surface of the eye and is similar to the crystal of a watch. If the crystal becomes scratched or fuzzy, the face of the watch becomes difficult to see. A replaced crystal allows the face of the watch to be seen clearly, much like sight-restoring transplantation surgery. Last year, donors from the United States made it possible to restore or improve the vision of more than 46,000 people.
Those interested in becoming a donor should visit www.IowaDonorRegistry.org and share their decision with family members. Giving the gift of sight can truly transform a life.
Supported by a partnership with the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Supported by Lions Clubs throughout state of Iowa, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank is dedicated to restoring sight.
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The Iowa Lions Eye Bank is a non-profit service organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of sight through the collection, processing and distribution of human ocular tissue for transplantation and research, primarily in Iowa, but also throughout the world. Visit Iowa Lions Eye Bank online at www.ialeb.org.
STORY SOURCE:
Iowa Lions Eye Bank, 2300 S. Duff Ave, Suite 3, Ames, Iowa 50010
MEDIA CONTACT: Katie Charter, 515-233-5110, kathryn-charter@uiowa.edu
