WEST ST. PAUL, Minn.—Walman
Optical hosted the Upper Midwest Optical Golf Day (UMOGD) Sight
Preservation Foundation golf event at Southview Country Club here on
Aug. 12. The annual event, which brings together people within the
optical community as well as those with a common goal of sight
preservation, raised $48,000 for the Minnesota State Academy for the
Blind.
“The Walman Company’s culture
includes one of being highly charitable,” said Craig Giles, executive
vice president/GM, Soderberg Ophthalmic Services, a unit of Walman
Optical. “In fact, this year’s charitable budget is north of $400,000.
As an employee-owned company we take great pride in not only giving
generously, but getting personally involved in many charities across the
nation. The UMOGD Sight Preservation Foundation is a 501(c) (3)
organization whose sole purpose is to help those that cannot otherwise
benefit from the products we create for sighted customers. This is our
way of helping kids that would not benefit from glasses or contact
lenses.”
Over the past 11 years, the
UMOGD-Sight Preservation Foundation has partnered with the Minnesota
State Academy for the Blind Foundation to enhance the educational
experience of the students at the Academy. To date, the Foundation’s
annual golf tournament has raised over $300,000. The organization’s most
recent project was the construction of a music lab and recording studio
for the students at the Academy. ■
Pictured at the UMOGD golf tournament, (l to r), are Soderberg’s Jim Menard, Essilor IDD’s Nick Turner, Transitions’ Scott Betcher and Soderberg’s Craig Giles.
(L to R) Uptown Vision Clinic’s Jean Sabre, with Soderberg’s Sue Ebner, Chris Ossmo, OD, and Transitions’ Kay Jensen.
(L to R) Shelley Staack, Younger Optics, Vision-Ease’s Tim Rongitsch, Zyloware Eyewear’s Jim Tooke, and Pat Patterson, chairman, Walman.
(L to R) Walman’s Bryan Schueler, Essilor IDD’s James Schrick, Transitions’ Scott Henning, and Essilor IDD’s Chris Jones.