ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 25, 2024 – Eversight awarded five people and organizations across Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Ohio with the 2024 Shared Vision Awards.
Since 2009, the Eversight Shared Vision Awards have recognized individuals, groups and organizations for extraordinary support of Eversight’s mission to restore sight and prevent blindness through donation, transplantation and research. Recipients are selected based on their impact in:
- Engaging in multiple programs to raise awareness about the gift of sight, and increase the number of registered eye, organ and tissue donors
- Engaging new community partners and advocates
- Raising philanthropic support
- Significantly advancing Eversight’s mission in the healthcare and allied workplaces involved with the donation process, including hospitals, hospice agencies, medical examiners’ offices and funeral homes
The following people and organizations are honored this year:
Carole and Jerry Ringer, MD, have been supporters of Eversight for nearly 20 years and previously served on the Illinois Eye Bank Board of Directors before it became Eversight. We are grateful for their years of advocacy and support. Dr. Ringer first got involved with eye banking when he began his ophthalmology career in 1970 at Gailey Eye Clinic.
The Ian Clemens Foundation was established in 2016 in memory of Ian Clemens. He was an engineering student at the University of Michigan when he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. He passed away just 32 days after diagnosis at the age of 17. Ian was an eye donor and transformed lives with his selfless gift. The Foundation provides financial assistance to families battling pediatric cancer diagnosis and to those going through the organ transplant process. They also provide engineering scholarships to high school graduates and promote joining the donor registry. The Foundation has raised and distributed over $300,000 through fundraising events and the generosity of contributors and spreads word to countless people on the merits of being listed on the organ donor registry—all in memory of Ian.
Lee Elmore, diagnosed with Fuchs' dystrophy in her early 50s, underwent bilateral cornea transplant surgery at age 75. Supported throughout her recovery by her loving husband Larry, they navigated post-surgery care, including 32 eye drops daily. With restored sight, they are now avid advocates for Eversight through promoting donation, supporting research and aiding outreach efforts in northeast Ohio. Their commitment to a world without blindness shines through their actions, including designing their garden to match Eversight’s logo.
Marty A. Schwarz, PhD, has spent his professional career as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, director of research at a medical school and consultant to the National Institutes of Health. This all would not have been possible without four vision-restoring cornea transplants he has received over a period of 40 years. Marty and his family cannot fully express their appreciation to organizations such as Eversight. In addition, they wish to honor the donors and donor families for their selfless acts of generosity.
Seth Meskin, MD, joined Eye Physicians & Surgeons PC after completing a fellowship in Cataract, Cornea, External Diseases and Refractive Surgery at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, one of the country's oldest and most renowned eye hospitals. Dr. Meskin's areas of interest include cataract surgery, the medical and surgical management of corneal transplants, laser vision correction (PRK, LASEK), corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL), as well as infectious, immunologic, and traumatic disorders affecting the cornea and surrounding structures of the eye. Dr. Meskin was one of the pioneering surgeons in Connecticut to offer newer and less invasive methods of corneal transplantation. He is a volunteer cataract surgeon for “Operation Sight”, which is a national program from the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons that offers free cataract surgery to low-income Americans.
“We are truly grateful to be recognized by such an amazing organization,” Michelle Clemens, Ian’s mother, said. “We are honored to be able to help with Eversight’s incredible mission. The work Eversight does on behalf of donor and recipient families every day is a blessing to so many.”
Eversight announced the 2024 Shared Vision Award recipients during the Golf for Good! Eversight Vision Classic virtual award ceremony. This event raised nearly $30,500 in charitable support for sight-saving transplants and vision research.
Visit eversightvision.org/give to join the 2024 Shared Vision Awardees in supporting our life-changing mission.
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