On Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, we held the first ever IU School of Optometry Gala. Despite COVID restrictions and the event having been re-scheduled from 2020, we had nearly 200 attendees. We are pleased to report that the event was a smashing success on all fronts: reunions, camaraderie, fun, dancing, and advancing the mission of IUSO.
IU School of Optometry Bicentennial Scholarship
The auction was set up to create a new endowed scholarship for the School: the IUSO Bicentennial Scholarship. All proceeds from registration fees, auction items, and the crowdfunding went towards creating this endowed fund to benefit future students at IUSO. And boy, did our alumni and friends deliver! Not only did we smash our goal of creating an endowment by raising $85,000 for the Bicentennial Scholarship, we also raised an additional $100,000 in endowed, named scholarships from our alumni and friends.
More Scholarships!
At the Gala, Norman & Miller Eyecare, Drs. Kevin and Joy Kissel, and Dr. Karon Nowakowski each pledged to create new endowed, named scholarships at $25,000 each. After the gala, two other alums have come forward to also create endowed, named scholarships.
These endowed funds will deliver scholarship funds to the school annually in perpetuity, meaning that generations of future students will benefit from this generosity and be able to leave IUSO with significantly less student debt.
Money raised:
$185,000 in total
- $85,000 in the IUSO Bicentennial Scholarship
- $100,000 in other named scholarships
Foley House Awards
During the IUSO Gala we presented both the Foley House Distinguished Alumni Award and the Foley House Basement Key Award.
Foley House Distinguished Alumni Award
Joan Exford Korb, BA’63, MS’64, practiced optometry in private practice in the Boston area from 1968 to 2017. She was elected as the American Academy of Optometry’s first-ever female president in 1993, hav-ing served on the Academy’s Executive Council beginning in 1982. Dr. Exford Korb served on the Boards of Trustees at the New England College of Optometry from 2001 to 2021, and the New England Eye Institute from 2004 until 2018. She continues to be a member of the Women’s Eye Health Task Force Advisory Board, a role she has held since 2004. Her dedication to IUSO led her to serve on the Advisory Board of the Borish Center for Ophthalmic Research from 1995 until 1998.
Foley House Basement Key Award
Soon after graduating, Monica Price Kowaleski, OD’02, joined the IUSO Alumni Board. She has served the board in many capacities including president and vice president. Dr. Price worked closely with the IUSO Of-fice of Advancement to create the Alumni Weekend. A former high school golfer, she worked closely with Dr. Kyle King and Dr. Herb Price to create the annual Optometry Alumni Scholarship Golf Out-ing. Dr. Price is the owner of Price Eye Care in Greenfield, IN.
It Takes a Village
We couldn’t have done it alone. A big thanks to our Gala Committee, Corporate Partners, Table Sponsors, and our alumni and friends who donated items for the auction. A special thanks to Wayne Addison of Another Addison Auction for his expertise and volunteering his time to run the live auction for us.
Gala Committee:
- Tim Cundiff
- Polly Hendricks
- Kyle King (Chairman)
- Jerry Logan
- Karon Nowakowski
- Herb Price
- Monica Price Kowaleski
- Patrice Ellingson
Corporate Partners:
- Alcon
- Allergan
- CooperVision
- The Eye Center of Southern Indiana
- Eye Surgeons of Indiana
- Hoosier Ophthalmic Consulting
- Midwest Eye Consultants
- National Vision
- Pioneer
- Talley Eye Care
- VSP
Gala Table Sponsors:
- Alcon
- Allergan
- Color My World—Colorblind Glasses
- CooperVision
- Steve & Janet Hitzeman
- David Hormuth & Renee Lassinger
- Kyle King
- Pete & Elli Kollbaum
- National Vision Inc.
- Greg & Susan Norman
- Karon Nowakowski
Thank You for Auction Items:
- Wynde & Michael Ashman
- Ed Bennett
- Paula Herring
- David Hormuth & Renee Lassinger
- IU Athletics
- Kyle King
- Errol & Patricia Klem
- Monica Price Kowaleski
- Terri Logan
- Cameron & Courtney Norman
- Karon Nowakowski
- Nathan Otte
- Vaughn Sanders
- Patrick Shoulders
- Jim & Gail Stewart
A Rocking End
The evening ended with an Alumni EyeBall, featuring live music by Bad Habits: The EyeDocs of Rock.
Leave a Reply