The Catskill Chronicle

FALLSBURG, NY (February 24, 2011) – Morgan Vegliante has a pioneer spirit. As a member of the Fallsburg High School Wellness Committee for the past few years, she is committed to the good health of the students and the rest of the community.

Her family has a long history of serving others. Her dad Steve is now Town Supervisor of Fallsburg and a Town of Fallsburg Lions Club member. His father was a Lion in Queens; her Uncle Steve, a Lion Past President and predecessor to Steve Vegliante as Town Supervisor; and her grandfather Monroe is a Lion and Past President.

When Morgan heard about the Lion’s Screening Eyes Early or SEE Program at a Wellness Committee meeting, she became immediately interested in bringing the program to the school district. She pursued the idea with the high school principal Michael Williams and then with the Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz. They encouraged her to carry through with the Fallsburg Lions to work out the details.

After enlisting the support of close friends who were also devoted to community service, Samantha Wiles, Logan Mednick, and her brother Cody, Morgan went to a Fallsburg Lions Club Dinner meeting and expressed their interest about getting involved to bring the SEE Program to Fallsburg Central School District (FCSD). Samantha and Logan’s parents are also members of the Fallsburg Lions, so the interest of the children became focused on creating a Leo’s Club at FCSD. Leo’s are young Lions dedicated to serving their community.

The four founding members of the Fallsburg Leo Club attended a regional convention of Lions in November 2010 and at a meeting with the Leo Club administrator for the area asked if they could be trained to screen children as part of the SEE Program. In less than a month a training session was held by Bethel Lion Larysa Dyrszka. Besides the four Fallsburg Leos, Town of Highland Lions Carol Bliefernich and Janelle Jones received training.

Once the program is approved, the Fallsburg Leos will be able to help screen children under six years old in FCSD to check for amblyopia, an eye condition commonly known as “lazy eye.” Discovered in early childhood through a painless and reliable use of a special camera that is non-invasive, amblyopia can then be treated and corrected saving a child from vision disorders and possible blindness later in life.

If you want to find out more information about this program or about the Fallsburg Leo Club, please contact the Club’s Faculty Advisor, Ms. Shari Mednick, at (845) 434-4110 or at smednick@fallsburgcsd.net.