Eyes on New York - Reframed Journal

March 27, 2020

Dear Friends:

It is an honor and great pleasure to welcome you to the 17th Annual Eyes on New York Award Celebration. The Eyes on New York Award Celebration honors the great work of the Optometric Center of New York, the SUNY College of Optometry and its University Eye Center, and individual leaders in optometry. Since 1956, the Optometric Center has played an invaluable role in our community by giving all New Yorkers access to vision care. Their support for important research at the SUNY College of Optometry, along with incredible outreach efforts and extensive neighborhood programming, have made the Optometric Center the remarkable institution of community eye care and innovation that it is today. I am proud to have such an esteemed organization in my district. This year has been momentous and bittersweet as we simultaneously mourn the loss of Barbara Saltzman, the beloved President of the Board of Trustees for the Optometric Center, and celebrate the opening of the new Center for Pediatric Eye Care which bears her name. The Barbara Saltzman Center for Pediatric Eye Care will provide innovative and much-needed vision care to children and families in our community. I am honored to have been able to allocate a grant to help complete this new eye care center, and I can think of no greater way to honor Barbara’s legacy. I want to express my heartfelt congratulations to the Optometric Center for its years of service to New Yorkers in need. I also congratulate tonight’s honorees, Dr. Denise Whittam, who will be recognized as Alumna of the Year for her nearly 30 years of leadership and service to the College, and Ella-Jane and Jessica Darcy of Funoogles who will receive the Eyes on Innovation Award for their innovative eyewear company. These honorees embody the spirit of the Optometric Center, and I am proud to see them honored within my district.

Best wishes,

Brad Hoylman State Senator 27th District