Sight & Hearing

Fall 1999

In 1939, you could buy a loaf of bread for eight cents, a gallon of gas for 10 cents and a gallon of milk for 49 cents. And anyone who gave a dollar could be a voting member of the Minnesota Society for the Prevention of Blindness.

Sixty years later, that society is known as the Sight & Hearing Association and its mission to prevent blindness and hearing loss lives on.

July 14, 1939

The Minnesota Society for the Prevention of Blindness was founded. Its first board of directors were Frank Burch, chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota's Medical School; his patient Eleanor Pillsbury; University of Minnesota President Guy Stanton Ford; Richard Leslie Griggs from Duluth; noted physician Dr. Egil Boeckmann; state legislator Louis W. Hill Jr.; and Amos Deinard of the Leonard, Street and Deinard law firm.

1940s

Advocated for and implemented in-school vision testing.

Conducted statewide eye health and safety publicity campaigns (including elaborate displays at the Minnesota State Fair).

Successfully lobbied for the safe fireworks law (1941), vision testing for driver's license applications (1948), and the BB-gun law (1949).

1950s

Conducted statewide glaucoma education campaign and screening.

1959

Preschool Medical Survey of Vision and Hearing was founded.

1960s

Successfully lobbied for vision testing for driver's license renewals.

1970s

Lobbied for the passage of the School Eye Safety Law

Conducted glaucoma screenings throughout Minnesota (in cooperation with local Lions Clubs and other service organizations)

In 1979, merged with Preschool Medical Survey of Vision and Hearing.

1980s

Introduced metro day care/nursery school vision and hearing screening program.

Added and Preservation of Hearing to the society's name.

Developed the Adult Home Eye Screening tool.

Implemented annual research awards program.

Developed various seminars for nurses on topics including pediatric ophthalmology, diabetes and the eye, and diseases of the ear and hearing loss.

Introduced The Bright Eyes Kids' Eye book.

1990s

In 1994, changed named from Minnesota Society for the Prevention of Blindness and Preservation of Hearing to Sight & Hearing Association.

Developed Know Noise hearing conservation curriculum for elementary schools.

Implemented various educational campaigns on topics such as fireworks safety, noise and hearing loss, car battery eye safety and glaucoma.

Introduced Noise Thermometerª poster.

Implemented noisy toys studies.

Provided glaucoma screenings at community health fairs.

Developed Corporate Screening Program.

Screened nearly one million children since inception of Preschool Screening Program.

A painfree new way to give to SHA: iGive.com

How would you like it if a portion of every purchase you made at your local shopping mall went to the charity of your choice?
At http://www.iGive.com, you can do just that without even getting in your car.
Become a free member of iGive by going to this URL on your internet browser: http://iGive.com/html/ssi.cfm?cid=7569. Each visit to iGive, you'll raise a few cents for SHA just for looking. When you purchase something from iGive's virtual mall which includes J.Crew, eToys and The Sharper Image up to 12 percent of that purchase comes to SHA! You don't pay a penny extra because the charitable donations come out of the finders fee iGive receives for bringing its merchants online business. SHA also receives $2 for each new member that signs up.

This holiday season, shop online and help SHA at the same time.

SHA names executive officers

The board of directors recently named its officers for 1999-2000:

Karen Arnold (The Hogan Company), president
Joan Coffey (Virtual University Enterprises), vice president
Fred Webber (Sable Advertising Systems), secretary
Dale Olson (Smead Manufacturing), treasurer
Dr. Charles Barer (Eye Physicians and Surgeons), ex-officio

Charitable Giving Tax Relief Act becomes Minnesota law

Minnesota is the first state in the nation to pass a state level tax deduction for non-itemizers (those who use the short form). Now, Minnesota non-itemizers who give more than $500 in money or goods to any combination of non-profits are eligible for a tax deduction of 50 percent of the amount by which their total contributions exceed $500. For instance, a couple who donates $1000 to non-profits in 1999 will be able to deduct half of everything over $500, resulting in a $250 deduction from their taxable income. Contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations, such as the Sight & Hearing Association, are eligible.

To claim the deduction, taxpayers should:

Keep receipts for all charitable giving. This includes cash and goods given to any 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

When you fill out your 1999 Minnesota Tax Return, follow the simple instructions for identifying how much you have contributed to charities. You then can claim the 50 percent deduction on individual or joint returns for all giving after your initial $500 in any combination of contributions.