Sept. 26, 2024 — Prevent Blindness has announced two major honors, the 2024 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award and the 2025 Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award, each recognizing significant efforts to improve vision care and eye health.
President and CEO of the New England College of Optometry (NECO), Howard Purcell, O.D., FAAO, will receive the 2025 Prevent Blindness Person of Vision Award. Recognizing individuals who have made exceptional contributions to vision health, the award will be presented at a gala on Feb. 19, 2025, in Orlando, FL, during Vision Expo East. Proceeds from the event will support Prevent Blindness programs.
Dr. Purcell, a 2020 #EBGameChanger, has had a long and distinguished career in optometry, holding leadership roles at NECO, Essilor of America, and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. A second-generation optometrist, he has also contributed to education and diversity in the field, serving on the founding board of Latinos en Optometry (LEO) to promote representation and cultural understanding in eye care.
“We are excited to hold our first Person of Vision gala in Orlando, and that we have the opportunity to honor Dr. Howard Purcell’s extensive work and impact on the vision industry as well as his patients,” says Prevent Blindness president and CEO Jeff Todd.
Separately, the Alcon Children’s Vision Center (ACVC) has been named the recipient of the 10th annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award. Presented by the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH), this award honors organizations that have made significant contributions to improving children’s vision and public health. The award will be formally presented at a virtual NCCVEH ceremony on Oct. 24.
The ACVC, in partnership with the Fort Worth Independent School District and the Alcon Foundation, provides essential vision screenings and eye health services to students, ensuring that those in need receive comprehensive care, including free prescription glasses. Since its inception, the ACVC has served over 3,000 children, with plans to expand services to all Title 1 schools in the district.
"Our one-of-a-kind partnership between the Alcon Foundation and Fort Worth Independent School district allows us to change lives—helping kids learn by helping them see," says Alcon Children's Vision Center president Rick Weisbarth, O.D., FAAO.
“We know that providing children with the eye care they need and deserve increases their chance of success in the classroom and helps put them on the path toward a lifetime of healthy vision,” says Todd. “We congratulate the Alcon Children’s Vision Center on their receipt of the 10th Annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award and thank them for their tremendous efforts to make children’s vision a priority in their community.”