Sight Savers America honors Vestavia Hills resident as 2017 Hero For Sight

Sight Savers America held a special luncheon at Regions Field earlier this year to present its fourth annual “Hall W. Thompson Hero For Sight Award” to Doyce Williams, President and CEO of the Alabama Eye Bank. 

The award is named after Hall Thompson, who was a business leader in Alabama, served on the board of Sight Savers America and had a profound impact on the organization and children’s vision issues in Alabama. 

Vulcan Value Partners was the presenting sponsor for this year’s event. More than 300 people were in attendance, including a comprehensive representation of Alabama’s eye care community, as well as corporate and community leaders from across the state. 

Hayley Barber, Miss Alabama, was a guest speaker at the event and spoke of her work with Sight Savers America as her charity of choice.

Williams is a Vestavia Hills resident and has served as president and CEO of the Alabama Eye Bank for 36 years. 

A charter member of the Eye Bank Association of America, the Alabama Eye Bank is a Birmingham-based nonprofit whose objective is to obtain quality human eye tissue and distribute it to qualified physicians around the world. 

Under Williams’ leadership, they have been ranked as a top 10 eye bank worldwide for 33 consecutive years. His hard work, vision and creativity are hallmarks of his success as a pacesetter for AEB and the eye banking industry.

Sight Savers America commemorated this year’s award through an original painting created by George Mendoza, a nationally known artist from New Mexico who is able to overcome his own severe visual impairment to create brilliant artwork. 

The Sight Savers America “Hall W. Thompson Hero for Sight Award” is permanently displayed on a 25-foot-long tribute wall, located on the first-floor lobby of the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital. The tribute space includes permanent recognition for the award recipients, along with the commemorative artwork. 

This year’s painting will be displayed for one year to honor Williams. A new painting will then be unveiled and displayed at the hospital for one year to honor next year’s award winner.

Sight Savers America is an Alabama-based nonprofit that was founded in 1997 whose mission is to identify and secure treatment for unmet vision and health needs.

– Submitted by Sight Savers America.