Lions Gift of Sight Donor Recognition Program
April 16, 2023
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Neurosciences
University of Minnesota
© Copyright 2023 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
Lions Gift of Sight
1000 Westgate Drive - Ste 260
Saint Paul, MN 55114
For more information, visit LionsGiftofSight.UMN.edu or call 612-625-5159.
Table of Contents
Lions Gift of Sight Eye and Cornea Donors
Welcome
Our recognition program honors those who are the foundation of donation – donors and family members. They have generously and selflessly supported the gift of sight.
Room 341, past the elevators, is available as a children’s activity room. The room will be monitored by adults.
All guests are invited to a reception immediately following the program. Light refreshments, coffee, and punch will be served. Therapy animals from the University of Minnesota PAWS program will be in the lobby. Please feel free to visit with the animals.
Program
Opening Remarks
Jodi Altenhofen
Community Liaison
Lions Gift of Sight
Lions Gift of Sight Welcome
Sean Poppoff
Executive Director
Lions Gift of Sight
A Surgeon Honors Donors
Hossein Nazari, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences
Solo
“Gabriel’s Oboe” (arranged by Carlo Marchione)
Jeremy Hiniker, Guitar
Dan’s Story
Ronda Gowan
Wife of Eye Donor
Solo
“Sarabande from Cello Suite No 3” (J.S. Bach)
Jeremy Hiniker, Guitar
Kailee’s Story
Kailee Vigen
Corneal Recipient
Donor Photograph Presentation
Closing Remarks
Jodi Altenhofen
Lions Gift of Sight Donors
Richard Hamilton Abelson
Irene Theodozia Allen
Michael James Altier
William “Bill” Altmeyer
Douglas R. Anderson
Erin Elizabeth Anderson
Rev. Norm E. Anderson
Vicki Anderson
David M. Andre
Evalyn MacDonald Antenucci
Gregory Aronson
Charlie Balstad, Jr.
Patricia A. Barnes Mayer
Robert J. Beck
Carol I. Becker
Bob Michael Berg
Michael Zona Berg
Teresa L. Berg
Paul Betcher
Therese Marie Bien
Cody Bissell
Carol Bjerke
Kaitlyn Blattner
Jeffrey Blom
Levi Blomquist
Jerry Boggs
David H. Boike
Robert Bonine
David Borgerding
Jeff Borndal
Edwin R. Bossman
Deborah Moilanen Botko
Robin Braasch
John Henry Brekke
Paul Alphonse Brennan
Mike Brickley
James M. Brown
Monica Brown
Karen L. Brunkhorst
Craig Bucknell
Thomas Budolfson
Conrad Burbach
Nola Kathleen Burch
Randolph C. Bush
Joni Buzick
Maria Soon-Young Byun
Linda Cain
Daniel J. Campanaro
Amare Campbell
Ralph Capelle
Christopher Ty Chmelik
Thomas Chrast
Daniel J. Cole
Glenn Copeland
Marvin R. Dahl
Robert L. Dakin
Larry Alan Danberg
Brayden R. Danielson
Michael Joel Danielson
Joel DiSanto
Jethro Doberstein
Claire Dolan
Kelly Jean Donahue
Steven Arthur Draeger
John E. Dritsas
Andrew Dypwick
Janet Eberhardt
Leo Jaxxon Edberg
Steven B. Eide
Robert Ellingboe
Nancy J. Emerson
Steve Engelhardt
Michael Ethier
Leo Benjamin Ferrazzo
LueAnn Fohrenkam
Casey David Foster
Robyn Lee Louise Frechette
Tyler Fried
Nicole Jean Fritz (McCoy)
Walter Froberg
Frederic S. Froelicher, Sr.
Jon L. Garvin
Patricia A. Gawlik
Heather Germain
Tim Giesecke
Peder Cameron Gilbert
Bob Glarner
Roger Gomsrud
Peter Goossen
Dale Jon Goski
Chuck Habisch
Matilda Tilly Hagen
Stephanie Hagfors
Timothy M. Haley
James E. Hansen
David Charles Hardy
John Harness
Barbara A. Harnett
Donald Hassenstab
John A. Hauck
Ron Hawkinson
Steven R. Heath
Wade H. Hedemark
Dahlia Mae Hoffman
Wayne Louis Hornicek
Helen K. Hoyt
Gary Hubbard
Justin Humenik
Nho Huynh
Charles “Chuck” Irmiter
Luverne Iverson
Pastor Michael T. “Mike” Jacobson
Stephen C. Johanneck
Derrick Johnson
Mark L. Johnson
Matthew Brian Johnson
Robert Byron Johnston
Sally Louise Jones
Timothy Mark Jopek
Deborah Jurgens
Curtis Kampa
Ryan Karis
Douglas Keddie
Daniel Kelley
Bonnie Kennedy
Jeffrey “Jeff” Kertson
Julie Kidd
Elizabeth Kirk
Mark Andrew Kjellberg
Cheryle L. Kohn
Mariëtte L. Kurtenbach
Robert Joseph Kuusisto
Brad Kuxhausen
Randy Kvam
Beverly K. LaCasse
Norma Jean Langehough
Joe Kevin Langenbau
Patricia Langer
Marvin Langston
Dean Richard Lanners
Patricia Ann Lassek
Katherine Renee Laven
David B. Lee
Jonathan Eastman Lewis
Charlie Robert Lindberg
Dr. Arthur T. Lindeland
Rev. Richard Lindeman
Leila Ann Loren
Alexander J. Lowe
Kurt Lubahn
Mark Edward Luger
Steven R. Maki
John F. Maloy
Christopher P. Martinez
Dorothy N. Masterman
Robin Matthys-Arnold
Brenda C. Mayry Greenly
George McCall
Emily Clare McCord
Michael McDonnell
Erik McInroy
Maggie McMahon
Tom McMahon
Lincoln E. Mechtel
Patricia Meyer
Kristen Amber Miller
Vanessa Grace Miller
Janet A. Miller-Thelemann
Lon H. Moe
Robert L. Mohar, Jr.
Kenneth G. Molenaar
Christopher Morgart
Sharon Morrow
Katie Murphy
Marjorie Evelyn Murray
Donald O. Nelson
Randy D. Nelson
Jack Neylon
David Nichols
Mark Norby
Paul Novak
Liv A. Nuckols
Ron O’Heron
Daniel V. Ohnstad
Reed Oleksiw
Jared Olson
Judith Olson
Deborah Marie Olson Ulstad
Leon Opatz
Jeffrey Opstedal
Gordon Ovans
Charles Pagel
Joanne Palmquist
George Palo
Mark Papesh
Susan Patterson
David Luther Pedersen
Terry Pederson
Tom Perry
William Grant Perry
Matthew Peter
Godfrey L. “Guff” Peterson
Verona Peterson
David Petro
Mary Jean Pinkelman
Matt Plumhoff
Donna Pontius
Thomas C. “Tom” Porter
Christopher Rathmanner
Rick Recker
Jacob Daniel Reiners
Margaret Rettner
Alan J. Rice
Dana W. Ristow
Raquel Lee Roth
Nathan Rothstein
Griffin Runze
Ashley E. Russell
Andrew Ryberg
Randy Ryski
Aaron M. Sather
Bernie Saupe
Alex Schlais
Blane Schmidt
Lyle Schmidt
Kerry Leann Schnebly
Jeffrey S. Schroeder
Daniel Lee Schurhammer
John R. Schweers
Bradley H. Scott
Janis Maxine Shoultz
Hannah Simiyu
James Simonson
Andrew Sinderman
William G. Smith
Roberta K. “Robbi” Sorenson
Gaylen W. Springborn
John St. Pierre
Daniel Stengel
Maynard Stensrud
Katie Eaves Stewart
Robert Aaron Stille
Randal L. Stone
Geoffrey Sundeen
Shawn Swain
Kurt W. Swanson
Donald A. Swartz
Patrick J. Sweedman
Barbara Irene Swenson
Carter Swierenga
Darlene M. Tester
Diane Thomas
Jami Marie Thompson
Jerry Lee Thompson
Harvey Tidemann
John A. Tobin, M.D.
Eric A. Tonn
RayAndre Torrence
Aubrey Suzanne Tuuro
Kaden James Tuuro
David Vail
Pierre-Francois Van de Moortele
Marty Van Pelt
Joseph Victor
Donald A. Wahl
Edward Warner
Ginny Wild
Charlotte Wilkinson
Richard Wimmer
Michael T. Zirbes
James Zwettler
Robert Zwiefelhofer
Helen Keller: Champion of the Blind
Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1880, Helen Keller contracted a fever at 19 months of age that left her both blind and deaf. She lived in darkness and silence until a miraculous teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through 7- year- old Helen’s isolation and taught her sign language, Braille, and speech.
All her life Helen was a tireless advocate for people with disabilities. In 1925, she attended the Lions Clubs International Convention and gave a short speech asking the 8- year- old service organization to help the blind. This speech so moved Lions club members that they have worked to assist the visually-impaired and to eradicate preventable blindness ever since.
Helen Keller's Speech
Dear Lions and Ladies:
I suppose you have heard the legend that represents opportunity as a capricious lady, who knocks at every door but once, and if the door isn’t opened quickly, she passes on, never to return. And that is as it should be. Lovely, desirable ladies won’t wait. You have to go out and grab ‘em.
I am your opportunity. I am knocking at your door. I want to be adopted. The legend doesn’t say what you are to do when several beautiful opportunities present themselves at the same door. I guess you have to choose the one you love best. I hope you will adopt me. I am the youngest here, and what I offer you is full of splendid opportunities for service.…
Try to imagine how you would feel if you were suddenly stricken blind today. Picture yourself stumbling and groping at noonday as in the night; your work, your independence, gone. In that dark world wouldn’t you be glad if a friend took you by the hand and said, “Come with me and I will teach you how to do some of the things you used to do when you could see”? That is just the kind of friend the American Foundation [for the Blind] is going to be to all the blind in this country if seeing people will give it the support it must have.
You have heard how through a little word dropped from the fingers of another, a ray of light from another soul touched the darkness of my mind and I found myself, found the world, found God. It is because my teacher learned about me and broke through the dark, silent imprisonment which held me that I am able to work for myself and for others. It is the caring we want more than money. The gift without the sympathy and interest of the giver is empty. If you care, if we can make the people of this great country care, the blind will indeed triumph over blindness.
The opportunity I bring to you, Lions, is this: To foster and sponsor the work of the American Foundation for the Blind. Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?
I thank you.
Acknowledgments
Lions Gift of Sight thanks the following:
Minnesota Lions club members, Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation, and individual donors
for the financial support that made this program possible.
Jeremy Hiniker, guitarist and teacher, for the music shared during the program. Anthem Academy of Music, (507) 236-8190, [email protected], www.jeremyhiniker.com.
The Barnett Family and Yuri Liberzon, Madison and Kirby Karpan and Friends, Maureen Karpan and Frog Legs, and Maud Hixon for providing the background music for the donor photo presentation.
PAWS for providing therapy animals after the program. The PAWS program, part of Boynton Health, provides Animal-Assisted Interactions with registered therapy animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and chickens.
Learn More About Lions Gift of Sight
Are you interested in being a donation advocate? Would you like to volunteer with our eye bank? We would love to work with you!
For more information, please contact our Community Services Liaison:
Jodi Altenhofen
612-624-0446
[email protected]
“ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
— Mahatma Gandhi