Youth Vision Testing Conducted at the Elks Lodge

(L to R): Mark Hensley, Tom Cataldo, Betty Gallups, Jeff Upton and Torrie Smith

With partial funding from the city of Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444 (“Elks Lodge”) hosted and funded the first city-wide free vision testing for youths on August 17, 2014.

Tom Cataldo (Chairman), Torrie Smith, Mark Hensley, Jeff Upton and Betty Gallups of the Better Vision for Children Foundation (“BVCF”) administered and conducted the free pre-school vision screenings for city resident youths aged 6 months to 5 years old.

Of the 17 youths tested, over one-third failed the vision tests. With this early vision testing, these youths can now visit an eye doctor to correct their vision deficiency.

The Mission Viejo / Saddleback Elks Lodge No. 2444, celebrating forty-four (44) years of service to the Saddleback Valley communities, is one of ten lodges in the Orange Coast District of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) whose headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois.

The BPOE is a charitable organization with a 146 year history of giving, “Elks Care, Elks Share.”

Andy Costello, Lodge Publicity

Mission Viejo / Saddleback Valley Elks Lodge No. 2444