60 children see the classroom black-board this year.

Jane Amaral, chairperson of Sight Conservation, spoke to the Hamilton Lions Club this week and asked for their support during White Cane Tag Day.

During White Cane Tag Day today and tomorrow, they aim to raise money to cover $8,964.10 of expenses incurred this year.

One such expense was an arrangement with Child and Family Services (CFS) to provide children with glasses.

Club Sight Conservation pays for the examination and lens while CFS pays for the frames.

Other initiatives in the programme include using the Anglican Cathedral Hall to give free eye testing to children about to enter primary school.

The programme in the first instance goes into the schools. There the children are tested and if a child is identified with a problem, the parents are asked to bring the child to the Cathedral at a later date.

If, after a final check-up, the problem is clearly identified -- the programme recommends the child see an eye care professional. Mrs. Amaral said before she left her office to come to the luncheon and give the speech, she received a thank you note from an elderly person who was finally able to purchase glasses after going without since 1984.

Whilst insurance may cover certain eye care, it is often provided after the optician's bill has been paid -- in the form of a refund, said Mrs. Amaral.

She said people may not be able to pay the money to get the glasses and the receipt needed by the insurance company to subsequently refund the money.

But if the programme guarantees the optometrist will be paid, the client can collect the glasses, the eye care professional issues a receipt and the insurance company will pay.