BIRMINGHAM – Sight Savers America held a special fundraising event recently at the B&A Warehouse and presented their inaugural Hall Thompson Hero for Sight Award to “Songs for Sight.” Over 200 people attended this event including eye care, corporate, and community leaders from across the Birmingham area. The Alabama Power Foundation, the Verizon Foundation, and Landscape Workshop were the presenting sponsors of the event.
“Songs for Sight” is an innovative partnership that began through the vision of Alie B. Gorrie in conjunction with the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation and the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama in order to build awareness of and provide services to children with severe visual impairment. “Songs for Sight” was founded on the desire to provide opportunities for children and young adults with low vision to hear “yes you can” instead of “no you can’t” and that spirit embodies exactly what the Hall Thompson Hero for Sight Award is all about. Hall Thompson was a business leader in our state and served on the board of Sight Savers America and had a profound impact on the organization and on children’s vision issues in Alabama.
“Sight Savers America applauds the commitment and passion of Alie B. and “Songs for Sight” and appreciates everything this innovative partnership has accomplished to build awareness of and fund services for children with severe visual impairment. We are honored to recognize their work through the presentation of the inaugural Hall Thompson Hero for Sight Award”, said Jeff Haddox, Founder and CEO of Sight Savers America.
Sight Savers America is commemorating this year’s award through an original painting created specifically for this event by Jeff Hanson, an internationally known artist who is able to overcome his own severe visual impairment to create brilliant artwork. Sight Savers America has secured an agreement from the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital for a tribute wall for the Hall Thompson Hero for Sight Award to be a permanent display on the first floor lobby of the hospital. The tribute space will include permanent recognition for the award recipients along with the commemorative artwork. This year’s painting will be displayed there for one year to honor “Songs for Sight” before being auctioned at next year’s Hero for Sight event. A new painting will then be unveiled and will be displayed at the hospital for one year to honor next year’s award winner.
Sight Savers America is an Alabama-based nonprofit that was founded in 1997. Their mission is to identify and secure treatment for unmet vision and health needs that impede a child’s ability to succeed in school and in life. Sight Savers America serves over 60,000 children each year through its four unique programs. For more information about Sight Savers America or their Hall Thompson Hero for Sight Award, please visit them at www.sightsaversamerica.org.
