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Sports

Baseball, social media and creativity help the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey connect with New Jersey residents

Baseball, social media and creativity help the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey connect with New Jersey residents
 
 Every charitable organization needs to stay in the public eye, in order to survive. But on August 3rd, the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey – a local charity dedicated to the restoration of sight – takes the "public eye" to the next level.
 
On that day, fans attending the Somerset Patriots vs. Lancaster Barnstormers game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater will have a chance to meet Iggy, the new mascot of the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey. Iggy – an enormous eye-shaped character, handcrafted by an Eye Bank volunteer – will join other Eye Bank staff to host a Night with the Somerset Patriots, giving those in attendance an opportunity to learn about sight restoration.
 
"Our mission to restore sight depends on public awareness," explains Margaret Chaplin, Executive Director of the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey. "We play an important role in the community, and we need to get the word out that we are helping to restore sight to hundreds of New Jersey residents each year – people who would otherwise face permanent blindness."
 
Chaplin adds that Iggy, the new, attention-getting mascot of the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey, is a fun way to raise awareness about this important mission. "When we have an opportunity to participate in an event, such as this special night with the Somerset Patriots, we have to engage the public. If we can enlighten even one person about the need for support of sight restoration through transplantation and research, then our participation will have been worthwhile."
 
The Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey has also launched a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lionseyebanknj), where friends and fans can keep up with Eye Bank events in the community. The page enables users to share personal stories about donation and transplantation, and communicate with other donor families and transplant recipients.
 
The Eye Bank's Night with the Somerset Patriots takes place at TD Bank Ballpark, located at 1 Cole Drive in Bridgewater, on August 3rd at 7pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey Web site, www.lionseyebanknj.org <http://www.lionseyebanknj.org> . For more information, contact Community Engagement Coordinator Cathy Coursen at (732) 382-3060, ext. 212, or ccoursen@lionseyebanknj.org.
 
The Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey is a charitable not-for-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of sight. It recovers, evaluates, and distributes human eye tissue for transplantation. It also supports research into the causes and cures of blinding eye conditions, promotes donation awareness through public and professional education, and provides humanitarian aid to people in need of corneal transplantation throughout the world.

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