Each year, Prevent Blindness North Carolina (PBNC) offers free acuity and retinal screenings to the public at the North Carolina State Fair. The “Christine Hamlin Mobile Vision Center” booth is open from the first day to the last, providing fair-goers with the opportunity to find out their visual acuity as well as have a series of retinal photographs that are analyzed by ODs and MDs in the Prevent Blindness “Donor Docs” network.
These screenings are an important service to the community as many of the people who are screened have not had a true eye exam in many years. While this type of screening is no substitute for a comprehensive eye exam, it does allow individuals to find out a great deal of information about their general eye health and issues to be aware of when speaking with their doctor. Those participants who need and cannot afford an eye exam may qualify to receive one free of charge through the generosity of the doctors in our “Donor Docs” program.
This year’s fair turned out to be a smashing success with over 1,600 people screened in an eleven-day period! Thank you to the all the booth sponsors that made this effort possible: The Hamlin Companies, Raleigh Eye Center, and Duke Eye Center.
If you have an interest in volunteering in or sponsoring the booth at the 2020 NC State Fair, please email [email protected].