Premier Eye Care’s Lorna Taylor receives Light of Sight Award from Lions Eye Institute
TAMPA, Fla. (December 2, 2014) – Premier Eye Care President and CEO Lorna Taylor, a longtime supporter of key organizations at the forefront of preventing eye disease and blindness, has been awarded the distinguished Light of Sight Award from the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research in honor of her advocacy and philanthropy.
The Light of Sight Award, given to persons who have made significant impact in the work to help those who are blind and visually impaired, was presented to Taylor at the organization’s annual Eye Ball Gala on Nov. 8.
Lions Eye Institute is a Tampa-based nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to the recovery, evaluation and distribution of eye tissue for transplantation, research and education. The organization’s Eye Bank is the only combined eye bank and ocular research center in the world.
Since its inception, Lions Eye Institute has brought the “Gift of Sight” to more than 65,000 men, women and children worldwide. In the Institute’s cutting-edge work, which includes stem cell research, researchers conduct real-time studies of healthy and diseased ocular tissue, leading to a greater understanding of the events that lead to blindness.
“Presenting Lorna with this award was our small way of thanking her for all she has done,” said Jason Woody, President and CEO of Lions Eye Institute. “She has shown exceptional dedication to the Lions Eye Institute through her philanthropic contributions, volunteerism and her other good works.”
Premier Eye Care has built an extensive record of supporting causes related to fighting blindness and eye disease, with Taylor serving on the boards of Lions Eye Institute Foundation and Florida Prevent Blindness. This support is part of an overall focus on social responsibility at the company, named one of “Florida’s Best of Places to Work For” by Florida Trend magazine.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Light of Sight Award, which reflects Premier’s ongoing commitment to finding cures for eye disease and blindness,” Taylor said. “For our research and medical community to continue to make a difference in this area, it’s critical that businesses and individuals give their time and financial support.”
Personally, Taylor is also involved in a wide range of other causes, such as Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts, and the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Foundation. In 2013, she received the prestigious Angie’s Award, given to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year finalist who best exemplifies commitment to community service, and was named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida.
