Western Massachusetts Lions to Hold Free Vision Pre-screening During Annual Convention

SPRINGFIELD — The Western Massachusetts Lions will hold its 61st annual Midwinter Convention on Friday, Jan. 24 through Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Sheraton Springfield. Lions is an international service organization that serves its local community and supports programs within the region, state, and internationally. One of the primary goals supported by Lions worldwide is to end preventable blindness and support the hearing impaired.

In keeping with this goal, the Western Massachusetts Lions will offer a free vision pre-screening during its Midwinter Convention. Members of the community from age 2 through adult can attend this pre-screening, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the third-floor lobby of the Sheraton Springfield, located at One Monarch Place.

This pre-screening can help detect seven vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, blurred vision, unequal refractive power, eye misalignment, unequal pupil size, and lazy eye. The screening is done with the use of a non-invasive scanning device and takes only seconds to complete. If a vision problem is indicated, a report is generated for the individual to take to an eye-care professional for further testing and correction.

Lions supports any individual who may need financial assistance with vision and/or hearing services. No appointment is necessary for this pre-screening. Parking for the event is the responsibility of the attendee.