This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
STANWOOD — At a recent meeting of the Mecosta County Optimists Club July 12, members gathered to celebrate a donation to Chippewa Hills School District’s Wellness Center.
The Mecosta County Optimist organization has been involved in various local community betterment activities over the past two years, including helping local libraries, organizations and schools.
For this donation, the club contributed $352.50, which was used to purchase a new Wood’s lamp for the Wellness Center. The Wood’s lamp will enable center staff to conduct detailed examinations of students’ eyes.
The donation also included an ice maker for the center, which will be utilized to create ice packs for students with injuries requiring cold compresses.
Beckee Kibler, a nurse practitioner at the center, expressed gratitude for the donation, emphasizing its significance in addressing student needs.
“When kids get things stuck in their eyes, I can use the specialized lamp to examine the items. These are crucial tools that we don’t have in our inventory,” Kibler said. “Although seemingly small, they make a huge difference by saving us time and saving families from potentially having to spend $200 on a visit to a walk-in clinic or emergency room for something in their eyes. We are immensely grateful, especially considering our limited funds.”
According to the National Library of Medicine, a Wood’s lamp, also known as a blacklight, is a handheld device that emits ultraviolet light. It is commonly used in dermatology and ophthalmology to examine the skin, hair, and eyes for certain conditions.
The lamp emits UV light that aids in visualizing specific eye conditions or abnormalities that may not be visible under normal light. The UV light causes certain substances to fluoresce or emit a characteristic glow, facilitating the diagnosis of particular eye disorders.
Kibler also expressed appreciation for the ice maker, as it will expedite care for injured students.
“I had a student who sustained an injury where the ice maker would have been extremely helpful,” Kibler said. “Your generosity with time, energy, and funds has surpassed our expectations, and we genuinely appreciate it.”
For more information on the Mecosta County Optimists chapter, visit bit.ly/3TvyYB8.
Mecosta Optimists Club donates over $300 and more to Wellness Center
