November 28, 2001

Serious message behind silly creature

Name-the-Monster contest promotes childhood vision

By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
       What's a fitting name for a Halloween monster with glow-in-the-dark eyeballs? That's the question children had to answer to participate in the Name-the-Monster Contest held in conjunction with the Monster with a Message Childhood Vision Campaign.
      "Boogely Eyes!" is the name that was chosen from more than 80 contest entries. The winning name, announced Friday at Horizon Books in Traverse City, was submitted by Jamie Marsh, a third-grade student at Immaculate Conception Elementary School. Marsh received a $25 gift certificate from Horizon as his prize.
      "It was kind of a coincidence, because Jamie had vision problems himself. He got glasses after a teacher suggested we have him tested," said Marsh's mother, Barb Marsh.
      The Monster with a Message Childhood Vision Campaign was held in Traverse City October 28 through November 3 to inform parents about the signs and symptoms of childhood vision problems. The information was provided via a Halloween card with the friendly nameless monster's face. Eight local pharmacies distributed the cards.
      Beneath the silly looking monster, however, lurked a serious message.
      "It's important to watch for signs that your child is having trouble with their vision," said Nancy Lewis, PharmD, MPH of Pharmacists Planning Service, Inc.
      "Nearly one in four school-aged children has a vision problem and school vision screening may sometimes miss them," she noted
      The campaign and contest were sponsored by Pharmacists Planning Service, Inc., a non-profit public health organization, Lower Northwestern Michigan Optometric Association and Harbor Optical.
      Contest judges included Jill Bert, Youth Services at the Traverse Area District Library; Dan Gibbons, District 11E of the Lions Club International; Geff Heidbrick, Harbor Optical; Jonathan Rand, author of the Michigan Chiller series; Sherry Richards, RPh Sixth Street Drugs; Jennifer Tiesworth, OD, Lower Northwestern Michigan Optometric Association and Bonnie Willings, MSA, CHE, Grand Traverse County Health Department.