Contact Information:
Jennifer Heilman, Director of Communications
1775 Church Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 234-1010 ext. 103
jheilman@youreyes.org

“See You at the Movies” Night of Vision® 2009 to Benefit Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington®

Charity gala features award to honor Emily Y. Chew, M.D., National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 23, 2008) – The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington® (POB) will host its annual Night of Vision® charity gala on March 28, 2009 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. This year’s movie-themed gala will feature Celebrity Specs® and a silent auction.

“Since the first charity gala held in 1987, the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington has raised awareness and funds through this event to help provide eye screenings and glasses to low-income and homeless persons, as well as a wide range of educational resources and programs to people with low vision in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area,” said Michele Hartlove, executive director of POB.

The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington’s Professional Service Award will be presented to Emily Y. Chew, M.D., deputy clinical director of the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. Established in 1987, the Professional Service Award honors the person who best exemplifies the spirit of POB’s mission and its commitment to the community.

“Dr. Chew was chosen not only for her lifelong public service, but especially for her many efforts to enhance the lives of patients with low vision and their families,” said Jan David Brown, president of POB’s Board of Trustees.

Chew also serves as the deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, and as medical officer of the Division of Biometry and Epidemiology, both at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. In 2008, she was awarded the Alcon Research Institute Award, NIH Director’s Award for the development of dbGaP, a database providing public access to AREDS data including genetic and phenotypic information, and NEI Director’s Award for her work in recruiting participants for the AREDS2 study. Chew is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retinal Surgeons. She also serves on the editorial and review boards of several leading publications and is director of the Medical Retina Fellowship. In addition to her many roles and accomplishments, Chew is a member of POB’s Medical Committee and is the medical advisor to POB’s Macular Degeneration Network.

The formal Night of Vision charity gala will include a cocktail reception and silent auction beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner, dancing and award presentations beginning at 8:15 p.m. Tickets to the event are $300 per person or $3,000 per table, a portion of which is tax-deductible. Reservations are requested by March 20, 2009. For more information or to attend the charity gala, please call (202) 234-1010.

About the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington:
Founded in 1936, the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (POB), the largest local prevention of blindness agency in the United States, is dedicated to the improvement and preservation of sight by providing services, education, advocacy and innovation. POB screens more than 7,500 children annually for vision loss and strabismus and 5,000 adults for glaucoma. POB also serves nearly 8,000 low-income and homeless persons at its eyeglasses clinic. POB sponsors the Aging Eye Network, the Macular Degeneration Network and the Stargardt’s Network. For more information on vision problems or about POB programs and services, please call (202) 234-1010, or visit POB on the Web at www.youreyes.org.

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