Taking a break from the dreary and cold Pittsburgh winter, the Eye & Ear Foundation held two events in Florida the second week of February.
Invited guests had the opportunity to engage directly with Ophthalmology Chairman Dr. Sahel and Otolaryngology Chairman Dr. Johnson at a cocktail event hosted by EEF Board member Bruce Wiegand and his wife Barbara at the Port Royal Club in Naples. Occurring for almost a decade, this year’s topics included the breakthrough using optogenetics to restore vision for people with retinitis pigmentosa, an update on the Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, progress in research to bring vision directly to the visual cortex in the brain, innovations in surgery, and outreach each department is doing for people in Pittsburgh’s underserved communities.
A similar program was repeated in Sarasota the next day with the help of EEF Chairman George Fechter. Lunch at the Ringling Museum’s Grill Room included a small number of current EEF supporters and a much larger group of Sarasota residents who were brand new to the organization, which was great, said Heather Chronis-Danek, EEF Director of Development for Individual Giving and Corporate Partnerships. EEF is looking to expand this event for 2023.