NEW YORK--The New York City Children’s Vision Coalition showed off its new Kiddie Vision Van in the Crystal Palace lobby at the Javits Center here during International Vision Expo East. The van has made visits to eight Manhattan elementary schools since its debut in front of City Hall last month.

Parents, teachers, and children from Manhattan’s P.S. 180 pose in front of the New York City Children’s Vision Coalition’s new Kiddie Vision Van, with (from l, standing in doorway) Michael Beirne of the New York City Comptroller’s Office, Rosemary Clemens of the Children’s Vision Coalition, Norman Haffner, OD, of the SUNY College of Optometry, Ralph Woythaler of 21st Century Optics, and Jobson Optical Group’s Dennis Murphy.

Michael Beirne, a health policy analyst who works for the New York City Comptroller’s office, noted that when the City did its 1999 “Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools” report, it noticed that children’s vision exams did not receive proper follow-up visits. City Councilman Jay Gershon helped the Coalition get funding for the Kiddie Vision Van. Diagnosing vision problems in school-age children but failing to follow them up with care has proven to result in poor school work and sometimes behavioral problems.

The Coalition also announced its 2005 $100,000 capital campaign; so far, $50,000 has been raised in both the optical community and outside of it. Lead sponsors so far include VCA’s Check Yearly, See Clearly program, Nassau Vision, Satis-Loh, SUNY College of Optometry, and Transitions.

The Coalition also received the gift of a Toro-X machine from Satis-Loh, which was auctioned off during Expo East 2005. The Coalition will receive the proceeds of the auction.