The Albert Lea Lakeview Lions Club provided free vision screenings for young children recently, according to a press release.

Sixty-six children were screened by Lions Club members at the event, which took place at Northbridge Mall.

More than 12 million school-age children in the United States have some form of vision problem, yet only one in three have received eye care services before age 6, according to the release. Many vision problems run the risk of becoming permanent if not corrected by age 7, when the eye reaches full maturity.

Vision also plays an important role in education, the release stated. According to educational experts, 80 percent of learning is visual.

Early screening leads to early detection, which helps ensure children get the follow-up care they need. Lions Club members want to make sure that correctable vision problems don’t stand in the way of children learning and seeing the world clearly.

For information about future screenings or to learn more about the Lakeview Lions and its service projects, contact Meg Tibodeau at megtibodeau@outlook.com.

The screening event is part of a nationwide initiative called Lions KidSight USA, a national coalition that brings together Lions programs that screen children from 6 months to 6 years old. KidSight USA was developed by Lions in the U.S. to protect the eye health of America’s children in their early years. Lions in the U.S. currently screen more than 500,000 children per year. Learn more about Lions KidSight USA at KidSightUSA.org.