Lions’ medical mission draws 259

  The eye/vision checkup was the most popular of all the services provided by members of the Lions Club International District 204 Region 2 during their health fair at the Civic Center last March 25, according to committee chair and regional treasurer Paul Madriaga.

Madriaga disclosed yesterday that many of the community members who attended the event were unable to avail of the eye/vision checkup since they didn’t make it to the 12pm cutoff.

“The Guam Lions Club was only able to bring two eye testing equipment and it wasn’t enough for individuals who wanted to get their vision checked,” Madriaga said.

Madriaga said Sunday’s event was a success, drawing 259 individuals who also took advantage of other free medical services such as blood sugar and blood pressure screenings. The Division of Public Health also administered close to 200 flu shots during the event.

“We were only anticipating 200 community members and we served more than that,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Madriaga noted that majority of the individuals that availed of the free medical services were Filipinos, while the rest were Chamorros, Chinese, and other ethnic groups.

The health fair was made possible with the assistance of Guam Lions Club members who arrived the day before and left Sunday evening. Among them were Guam Asia Pacific Lions Club district governor Rey Acierto, district treasurer Tony Soriano, Guam Galaide Lions Club district administrator Zeny Cachila, and Guam Marianas Lions Club president Joe Besagar.

The event was also a collaborative effort with various organizations and businesses, said Madriaga. Hardt Eye Clinic helped in the eye/vision screening; Saipan Seventh-Day Adventist Clinic conducted oral health orientation, donated eyeglass frames, and gave away toothbrush and other freebies; Keiko Odashiro of the non-profit Nurturing Transformative & Sustainable Communities or NUTESE conducted outreach on domestic violence; and the CNMI Diabetes Coalition.

The Guam Harmony Lions Club, meanwhile, distributed cancer awareness pamphlets from the American Cancer Society. Rota Water donated 10 cases of bottled water and Don Pedro provided the sound system.

“We would like to express our appreciation to all those who contributed to the success of our health fair, particularly our volunteers, donors, and sponsors,” said Madriaga.

Other donors and sponsors were Micronesian Brokers, Inc., Triple J Super Fresh Market, D&Q, KFC, Taco Bell, First Lady’s Vision Foundation, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, JET Holdings, Toshiba, RNV Construction, National Office Supply, and the Advance Group.