Oct. 7, 2009
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation Gives Major Grant to Kansas Lions Sight Foundation
A new Kansas Lions Mobile Screening Unit will be hitting the streets this fall thanks to a partnership between the Kansas Lions Sight Foundation, Kansas Lions Club, and a $100,000 donation per year for five years from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) Foundation.
This partnership represents the BCBSKS Foundation's single largest gift since its incorporation in 2005. The funds will be used to purchase the new Kansas Lions Mobile Screening Unit, screening equipment and travel expenses.
"We applaud the Lions Club long-time commitment to improving the health of Kansans by offering screenings to all people who visit their mobile screening unit," said Andrew C. Corbin, CEO of the BCBSKS Foundation. "It is part of the Foundation's mission to improve the health of Kansans. We are proud that through this partnership and the mobile screening unit, Kansans who might not have a primary care doctor or possibly lack health insurance will be able to obtain important screenings."
Because of this donation, the Kansas Lions Mobile Screening Unit will continue to travel throughout the BCBSKS Foundation service area offering free health screenings to Kansans for the next five years. The mobile screening unit is equipped to provide screenings for visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, blood pressure and blood sugar.
"We are pleased to partner with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation for the new mobile screening unit," says Joyce DeVore, president of the Kansas Lions Sight Foundation.
"Obtaining regular screenings is an important part of identifying potential health problems, for instance the blood sugar screening helps detect diabetes, the number one cause of new blindness. Until the Kansas Lions Mobile Screening Unit began operating, many Kansans had to provide the financial and physical effort to go for medical screening. Thanks to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation, we are proud to be able to fulfill these needs for Kansans at no cost," she continued.
The Kansas Lions Mobile Screening Unit is a total Kansas product. Brown Specialty Vehicles of Lawrence built the unit and applied the illustrated exterior, Doug Archer of Garnett was the Kansas illustrator who designed the exterior artwork, and B and B Signs of Topeka coordinated printing the illustration with Gregory, Inc. of Buhler.
To learn about when the Kansas Lions Mobile Screening Unit will be in your area, contact DeVore at joyced4@cox.net.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation was incorporated in July 2005 by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas to further strengthen its role in promoting the good health of Kansans. The Foundation focuses its giving on key health issues that can impact the lives of many Kansans, funding programs which are, at their core, health-related. The Foundation seeks out programs that promote health improvement, health care access, health education, healthy behaviors and prevention initiatives. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and serves all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte.
The Kansas Lions Sight Foundation is a public, non-profit, tax-exempt (501)(c)(3) corporation. The foundation was incorporated as the charitable arm of the Kansas Lions. The Kansas Lions Sight Foundation was incorporated to provide an avenue whereby Lions, and others, could donate funds that would then be disbursed for sight-related projects in Kansas.
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