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There’s nothing more important than helping the underserved, especially our nation’s heroes. In Bexar County, there are approximately 150,000 veterans in the community, and many of them struggle to get the medical care they need.
Two years ago, I Care San Antonio, San Antonio’s leading charity vision center dedicated to helping low-income and homeless families, launched its newest initiative to assist those in need: All Star Eye Care for Veterans and Their Families.
This vision program helps low-income and homeless U.S. military veterans and their immediate family members access timely and complete eye care, including medical, surgical, and optical. I Care SA offers this service to veterans and their immediate families because it understands that when one family member joins the military, the whole family serves.
This year, I Care SA is celebrating this initiative during National Military Family Month with the O’Dark Thirty Breakfast on Nov. 18, hosted by special guest and former pro golfer David Feherty, who is also a staunch advocate for U.S. troops.
Feherty, born in Northern Ireland, is golf’s most in-demand commentator and analyst. As a professional golfer, he won five times on the European Tour and played on the PGA Tour. In 1997, he traded his clubs for a microphone, becoming CBS’ go-to golf reporter and analyst.
Since then, he’s hosted Feherty, a television talk show on the Golf Channel and has become NBC’s full-time contributor to the network’s golf coverage. He has also authored six books, with a number of them making the New York Times bestseller list.
In addition to his impressive career as a pro golfer and popular broadcaster, he is a fervent supporter of U.S. troops. His passion for veterans began in 2005 when he participated in a Thanksgiving goodwill tour to Iraq. What he experienced there made Feherty determined to do something to better the lives of military service members.
Since then, he visited Iraq several times to entertain troops and he co-founded the nonprofit Troops First Foundation. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 2010, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award in 2014 for his relentless efforts to improve the lives of U.S. troops and their families.
To celebrate the success of the All Star Eye Care for Veterans and Their Families program and to support veterans in need, join I Care SA for the O’Dark Thirty Breakfast, which will take place from 7:30-9 a.m at the TriPoint event center, located at 3233 N. St. Mary’s St. To learn more about the event and how to get involved, click here.
The presenting sponsor, the Greehey Family Foundation, along with platinum and gold sponsors, will have the unique opportunity to meet David Feherty at an exclusive VIP reception on the evening before the breakfast. Honorary co-chairs for the event include Bill Greehey, chairman of NuStar Energy and board chairman of Haven for Hope, and Dr. Byron C. Hepburn, associate vice president and director of the Military Health Institute at UT Health San Antonio.
I Care San Antonio, founded in 1992, is located next to the Haven for Hope Campus and serves low-income and homeless families in Bexar County and surrounding areas who do not have health insurance or health insurance with a deductible so high that it acts as a barrier to care.
When people think of a charity eye clinic, they probably don’t think of experienced doctors and state-of-the-art technology, but that’s what I Care SA provides. With over 40 volunteer doctors that do everything from routine eye exams to complex sight-saving procedures like detached retina surgeries, I Care SA continues to set the example for what a charity eye clinic can and should be, having served over 55,000 individuals.
“The focus of I Care San Antonio is clear: to improve the lives of veterans and our community by providing complete eye care,” said retired Air Force Col. Timothy Strawther, I Care SA board member and O’Dark Thirty event chair. “This includes medical, surgical, and optical support for those who cannot afford it. This mission can only be accomplished due to the dedication of our amazing 40-plus volunteer doctors. Without their compassionate professional care, the programs of the I Care Vision Center, including the All Star Eye Care Program for Veteran and Their Families, simply cannot take flight. It is a privilege to be part of this endeavor.”
To learn more about the program All Star Eye Care for Veterans and Their Families and the O’Dark Thirty Breakfast, visit https://bit.ly/2021ODarkThirtyBreakfast. You can also get in touch by contacting Leah Gransbery, development director, LGransbery@alamovision.org.
