Local Rotarian’s story gets international press

JIM DE BOOM

The July issue of the Rotarian, the official publication of Rotary

International, featured a four-page article and photos of

Newport-Balboa Rotarian Dr. Richard Weiss and his work with avoidable

blindness efforts around the world. The article was written by

freelance writer Dan Halem and distributed to Rotarians in the United

States, Canada, India, the Philippines, Japan, Nigeria, Australia,

New Zealand, Finland, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Weiss spent four months of his ophthalmology residency practicing

charitable medicine some 20 years ago in Haiti, where he treated a

blind girl named Angeline. The cataract surgery Weiss performed on

her was successful and her life was changed forever, as I suspect

Weiss’ was.

Since then, Weiss has treated former South African President

Nelson Mandela and world famous musicians such as Stevie Wonder and

Ella Fitzgerald in his successful medical practice, now in Newport

Beach. He established a foundation, the One World Sight Project, and

has identified more than 100 public and private organizations that

fight blindness, restoring sight to more than 1-million people each

year. One World Sight Project promotes collaboration among groups

like the World Health Organization, the American Board of

Ophthalmology, the International Eye Foundation and Rotary

International. In 2000, Weiss helped launch Rotary International’s

Avoidable Blindness Task Force with then RI President Frank Devlyn.

The goal was getting Rotarians at the local level involved in the

fight against preventable blindness.

According to the World Health Organization, 36-million people are

blind due to preventable or curable conditions.

“Rotarians can fight blindness because they are in communities all

over the world where avoidable blindness occurs,” Weiss said in the

article. “They can get people together to organize the clinics and

get the word out that services are available. That’s more than half

the battle.”

For more information on the One World Sight Project, visit

https://www.

owsp.org.

AAUW TEA

The American Assn. of University Women’s (AAUW)

Newport-Mesa-Irvine branch will be hosting its annual Membership Tea

from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 22. Meet new friends while hearing about AAUW

and its interest groups, fund raising projects, Tech Trek,

Educational Foundation and much more. Scrumptious finger foods,

fruits and a variety of teas will be served. For information, call

Kathy Wicker at (949) 733-2052 by Aug. 21.

HALO HERO

Barbara and I were proud parents a couple of weeks ago when our

daughter Stacy, a first-grade teacher at Pomona Elementary School was

introduced on the jumbo TV screens at an Angels game at Anaheim

Stadium as a Halo Hero. At each Tuesday home game, the Angels and

Wells Fargo Bank salute a local educator for their school and

community involvement and present the honoree’s school with a check

for $500 for school supplies. Stacy’s sister, Jodi and her fiance

Zach Drysdale from Chico, joined with several other of Stacy’s

friends to celebrate the honor. Kids can make you proud.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SERVICE CLUBS

Art Wardner, sponsored by Dick Freeman, and Nick Berger, sponsored

by Craig Boardman, both joined the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for Today, provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “Here is the test to find whether

your mission on earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”

-- RICHARD BACH

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

MONDAY

6:30 p.m.: The Harbor Mesa Lions will meet at Fairview Park in

Costa Mesa.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 47-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns Restaurant for a program by Laurel Zaeske of the

Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Education Committee

(https://www.newportbeach

sunriserotary.org).

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn, and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Dr. Michael Spitzer on the latest in

laser eye surgery.

6 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will tour the

new Sea Scout Base. (https://www.newport

balboa.org)

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn (https://www.kiwanis.org/

club/costamesa). The 50-member Newport Beach-Corona del Mar

Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a

special-guest day program featuring past District Gov. Bob Erikson.

The 85-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at the

Nautical Museum for an update by Rep. Chris Cox

(https://www.nhexchange

club.com). The Rotary Club of Newport Irvine will meet at the

Radisson Hotel for a program by Allan Book about Orange County news

(https://www.nirotary.org).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.