January 1, 2022 OHIO LIONS EYE RESEARCH FOUNDATION (OLERF)

This year marks 70 years since formation of the initial Ohio Lions Eye Research Committee and 65 years since obtaining 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.  The Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation (OLERF) has been committed to finding treatments and cures for blinding retinal diseases. With your support, we have been able to develop new breakthroughs and fund groundbreaking research that provides hope to those living with blinding retinal diseases through our grants and fellowships. However, there is still much more work to be done in the fight against blindness, and we cannot do it without you. Now is the time to renew/continue your dedication to ending blindness and vision loss here and around the world.

You can help OLERF find treatments and cures by continuing your commitment as a supporter to those affected by retinal diseases. Just look at what we have been able to accomplish together however, there is still more work to be done and we will not stop until we have eradicated blinding retinal diseases and restored vision across the world.

• All funds received by OLERF remain in Ohio for research
• $579,291.47 committed last year for 11 research projects
• Over $7 million dollars have been given to Ohio researchers by OLERF

More than 10 million Americans - and millions more worldwide - live with blinding retinal diseases.  Your support brings hope for therapies, treatments, and cures. Each District in Ohio has an OLERF member. Contact them for more information or to donate.

February 16, 2022 OHIO LIONS EYE RESEARCH FOUNDATION (OLERF) Zoom Meeting

We're serious about efforts for Eye Research Today ... Vision Tomorrow.  Today's discussion focused on many topics including Awards and the Foundation's Code of Regulations.

April 13, 2022 Lois Hagelberger-Huebner Young Investigator In The News

Katelyn Swindle-Reilly named 2022 Early Career Innovator of the Year

Video - Katelyn Swindle-Reilly - 2022 Early Career Innovator of the Year Acceptance

Video - Explaining Dr. Swindle-Reilly's Work and Discovery

"Ohio State’s Early Career Innovator of the year for 2022 is Katelyn Swindle-Reilly, Phd, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering.  Dr. Swindle-Reilly's current research interests focus on the design of polymeric biomaterials for soft tissue repair and drug delivery with focused applications in ophthalmology and wound healing.  Dr. Swindle-Reilly received recognition for her work on treatments for patients with conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and other retinal diseases. These patients may need injections straight into the eye up to 12 times per year. She has developed an extended release capsule that – while still injected into the eye – can reduce the timing of injections to once or twice a year."  Reference

Dr. Katelyn Swindle-Reilly had received the Lois Hagelberger-Huebner Young Investigator Award from the Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation. The proposal was titled “Sustained Release Bevacizumab Injectable for the Treatment of Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration." The award was for $107,000 per year for two years, September 15, 2017 to September 14, 2019.

May 20, 2022 Organizational Meeting at the MD-13 State Convention

This year's meeting included a special participant, Lucia, a granddaughter of Dr. Deborah Grzybowski. Dr. Deb keeps telling her; she is our youngest Lion! Lucia asked what we did, and Dr. Deb explained that, 'We Serve', and gave her examples. Lucia was very excited to help out.

May 21, 2022 MD-13 OLERF Annual Membership Meeting

PCC Lydia Houser, OLERF Executive Director, announced to the Council of Governors (COG) and Lions of Ohio that the Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation’s (OLERF) Code of Regulations requires an annual meeting.

The Annual Membership Meeting of OLERF was called to order by Lion Nancy Brown, OLERF Trustee President. Lion PDG Myron Amstutz, OLERF Trustee Treasurer, reported OLERF is alive and well and allocated the following funds in 2021-22:

Total contributions of the Districts as of May 17, 2022, are $74,973.42, an increase of $33,673.42 over 2021.

The Foundations Total Assets as of May 17, 2022 are $2,357,298.61.

Interesting Facts: Where did the money go?       

Total 2021-2022 Allocations $579,291.47

August 6, 2022  Allocation Meeting and First meeting of the new Lions year.

The Ohio Lions Eye Research (OLERF) held their first meeting of the Lions year, hosted the 2VDGs to a tour/briefing of the OLERF laboratory at The Ohio State University by OSU lab staff and took the 2VDGs to dinner.  Pictured is Colleen M. Cebulla, MD, PHD, setting up in the background and the OLERF Executive Director, PCC Lydia Houser, transitioning us into technical presentations by OSU Investigators and Researchers.  The picture to the right is one example of laboratory space used for research in the Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation Laboratory.

Norbert Peiker met with the past and current recipients of the Norbert Peiker Fellowship at the 2022 Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation Meeting! 🔬👁️

Left to right is Fengze Wu (current fellow working with Raymond Gao, PhD), Norbert Peiker, Tyler Heisler-Taylor, PhD (past fellow).  Source: OSU Havener Eye Institute

November 20th Meeting at MD-13 Ohio Lions Building

Planned discussion occurred for each Committee including our internal audit of accounts by the Audit Committee.  Financial records were found to be consistent with generally accepted accounting principles.

The next meeting of OLERF is planned for 15 February 2023 at 7:00 PM.  The meeting will be conducted using Zoom.

Attachments:

2022_Annual_Meeting_Minutes_for_MD-13.pdf

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