Musical Inspiration

Vince Gill, Swingle Singers Headline Second Songs for Sight Fund-Raiser

The second Songs for Sight event was another success, raising more than $430,000. Country music performer Vince Gill and London-based a cappella group The Swingle Singers headlined this unique musical celebration held in March at UAB’s Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center.

Songs for Sight was imagined and organized by Alie B. Gorrie, 18, of Mountain Brook. Gorrie wanted to raise awareness and funds for the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation and support research efforts for the Optic Nerve Imaging Center through the event, which incorporates her love of musical theater.

“I am exceedingly grateful for all the hard work being done by the Low Vision Center, Sight Savers, and the researchers at UAB,” Gorrie says. “In the past year alone, I have seen so many lives changed by Songs for Sight programs like our support groups, and I cannot wait to continue these efforts.”

Keith Cromwell, executive director of Red Mountain Theatre Company, directed the show. The event is a partnership among the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, SightSavers, the UAB Department of Ophthalmology, the UAB School of Optometry, and a group of community volunteers dedicated to supporting their mission.

“The support from the Gorrie family for the Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation at UAB is truly incredible,” says Lanning Kline, M.D., chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. “Its impact on the lives of so many people has been tremendous.”

Maintaining the Momentum / Summer 2011