On April 16th, the people of Tampa took to the streets for the Roar Through Ybor Race for Sight hosted by the Lions Eye Institute. The streets around Centennial Park were shut down so hundreds of racers could race in the name of #EyeHealth. The race was dedicated to the 45 million individuals and families suffering with eye disease. The Lions Eye Institute is a center that advocates for these people in a national effort to improve the vision and quality of life for those blind or visually impaired.
The scenic and historic Centennial Park was the perfect place to host the event. Vendors and local music set the scene while Tequilia’s catered black beans and rice to the tired racers once their race was over. The UT and USF Delta Gamma sorority chapters showed their support for #EyeHealth by donating their time and volunteering. Lions Club teams came out to show their continued support and to have a great time.
Another supporter of the race was Mrs. World April Lufriu. Years ago April and her two children were each diagnosed with a genetic condition, retinitis pigmentosa, which can lead to blindness. She received the news all on the same day. Since then she has used her Mrs. World status as a platform to raise awareness for eye disease.
The Lions Eye Institute is located in Ybor City, Florida and operates as an eye bank as well as an ocular research center. Their eye bank is one of the largest in the world and provides eye tissue for research and transplantation nationwide. Eye tissue is also sent to the ocular research center as quickly as possible to ensure the least amount of damage and improve research advancements.
To learn more about the Lions Eye Institute please visit their website. To see several photos of race day, visit the Lions Eye Institute on Twitter.
