TAMPA, Fla. – Ronald Christaldi, a partner and business lawyer at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, will chair the Eye Ball Gala this year benefiting the Lions Eye Institute Foundation.
Guests at the ninth annual Eye Ball Gala on October 24 will enjoy a Mardi Gras theme, and proceeds from the event will help the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research fund sight surgery, research and programs to aid the visually impaired and blind.
“I’m honored to chair an event that supports the important work Lions does in our community and beyond,” Christaldi said. “The gala is a chance for people to hear the remarkable stories of people whose lives have been changed by receiving and giving the gift of sight.”
Cornea recipient Cole Diepersloot will speak at Eye Ball Gala about surgery he had before his first birthday that helped him regain his sight. He is now an active teenager.
Gala attendees will also hear from Dawn Futch, whose son Michael was killed in an automobile accident in 2010. Michael’s organs and corneas were donated and helped over 60 people.
The Lions Eye Institute will also present two awards at the gala. The Light of Sight Award will be given to Steve Griggs, CEO of the Tampa Bay Lighting, for his dedication to the Tampa Bay community through philanthropic contributions. The Innovation and Research Award will be presented to Dr. Timothy W. Olsen, Lions Eye Institute Research Advisory Board member and chairman of the Emory Eye Center at Emory University, for his exceptional dedication to the field of vision.
Tickets to the gala can be purchased through the Lions Eye Institute website at LionsEyeInstitute.org. Individual tickets are $250 and tables of 10 are available for $2,500.
The Eye Ball Gala is proud to have two Diamond sponsors for $10,000 – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP and TECO Energy. The gala’s $5,000 Emerald sponsors are Aetna; Premiere Eye Care; Bright House; LifeLink; Tampa Steel Erecting; St. Luke’s Cataract and Laser Institute; Dean Mead Law Firm; and Savills Studley Occupier Services. The Lions Eye Institute Foundation is also grateful for the sponsorship of C1 Bank; Bank of Tampa; CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation; and Argus Dental and Vision at the $3,500 Ruby level.
About Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a full-service business law firm with more than 240 lawyers, 60 paralegals and 500 employees in five offices: Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Fla.; and Charlotte, N.C. In each of its markets, Shumaker is the premier provider of quality legal services to individuals, small businesses, healthcare providers, nonprofits and Fortune 500 and international corporations. Whether it's commitment to clients or work in the community, involvement lies at the core of all Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick’s initiatives.