Bryan Woolbert played the keyboard and sang for the meeting
Approximately 60 District 16L Lions gathered on Nov. 14, for a District Sight Meeting, facilitated by District Sight Chair, Min Elders of the Cherry Hill Pennsauken-Korean Lions Club.
After the opening formalities were observed, the evening's special, Bryan Woolbert, stepped up to his electronic keyboard and played delightful music while the attendees enjoyed their dinners. After dinner, 18-year-old Bryan returned to his keyboard and wowed the audience with several more songs. At the request of District 16L Gov. Bob Freidel, Bryan played "Proud to Be An American" as the audience stood and enthusiastically joined him in singing it.
Bryan, a Somers Point High School senior, not only played the keyboard wonderfully, but he demonstrated outstanding singing skills. This talented young man also writes music, and shared one of his own compositions with the appreciative Lions.
He also shared his story. This gifted young musician has been visually impaired since birth with a rare eye disorder. He began playing an organ at home at the age of 7 and has continued learning under the guidance of MAVIS, Music Association for the Visually Impaired Students (of New Jersey). MAVIS, an approved NJ Lions State Project, is a non-profit organization that has helped provide free musical instruments and subsidized music lessons for the vision-impaired community of New Jersey. The only eligibility requirement to receive MAVIS services is to be classified as legally blind in accordance with standards set by the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
After graduation, Bryan plans to attend a four-year college to major in music technology.
Freidel and District 16L members were proud to showcase Bryan and demonstrate, with the help of MAVIS, what the Lions do in their projects, in this case, their commitment to sight issues and the people impacted by them. This is just one of the many worthy activities that the Lion Clubs and its members perform every day.
More information about the MAVIS program is available at MAVIS, Phone: 732-826-8216 or email, mavisnj@optonline.net.
This item submitted by Min Elders for Lions Clubs of South Jersey.