Gardner Eye Care Celebrates 105th Anniversary of Founder's Birth

On April 23, 2015, patients, friends, and family will celebrate the 105th anniversary of Dr. James J. Gardner’s birth. Dr. Gardner founded Gardner Eye Care in 1938 in Chicago. His son Dr. John Gardner has continued and grown his father’s tradition of providing exceptional eye care to families in the communities of Hickory Hills, Homer Glen, and Naperville.

Hickory Hills, IL — Doctors, Staff, Patients, Family, and Friends will be celebrating this Thursday, April 23 at Gardner Eye Care—Your Vision Source in Hickory Hills, Homer Glen, and Naperville—with an Open House at the Hickory Hills office at 9400 S. Roberts Road.

Dr. John Gardner has extended a special invitation to what he fondly calls the “30+ club,” folks who have been patients for over 30 years. “We actually have a significant number of patients who began as patients of my father when they were kids, brought their children in for their eye health and vision care, and now their children bring THEIR children to us.”

“My father was passionate about providing the absolute best care for his patients and we’re proud of carrying on his tradition of providing exceptional eye health and vision care, service, and products to our patients.”

Dr. John Gardner, who has conducted vision testing on athletes around the world, including NBA and MBL draftees and local sports teams, is a contact lens specialist and family eye care practitioner. He and the other Doctors in Gardner Eye Care, in addition to the more traditional Optometric care of prescribing glasses and contact lenses, also co-manage eye disease and surgeries with select Ophthalmologists as part of the Gardner Mission to take care of their patients across their lifetimes.

Gardner Eye Care is enjoying its 77th year in the practice of family optometry.

The Gardner Eye Care story reflects every significant development in Optometry and underscores Doctors Gardner’s roles as innovators: From single-style ugly glasses (There’s no way around it—they were ugly!), to the advent of hard contact lenses (Dr. James was among the very first Optometrists to prescribe and fit contact lenses.) and the subsequent evolution of gas permeable and then soft contact lenses and specialty contacts that include mono-vision and multi-focal lenses; from sports vision applications to professional licensure expanding to include diagnostic and then therapeutic treatments, Gardner Eye Care has led Optometry locally, nationally, and internationally with Dr. John Gardner’s sports vision chapter in a book published in the UK and his international lectures.

A former professor at the Illinois College of Optometry, Dr. John Gardner continues to mentor Optometry students and new doctors. He has invited personable and talented doctors to join the Gardner Eye Care Family. This year, Gardner Eye Care welcomed Dr. Jessica Klabunde, a stand-out student at ICO and an exceptionally talented diagnostician who had practiced in a variety of settings before coming home to Gardner Eye care. She, too, is interested in sports vision and co-manages eye disease for patients. Barbara Tylka started working at Gardner Eye Care as a high school student at Stagg, was inspired to pursue her studies in optometry, and is currently completing her studies and preparing for an internship before she begins her career in Optometry.

Dr. Florianne Burns cares for patients at the Naperville Gardner Eye Care/Vision Source practice.

As part of Thursday’s festivities, patients and guests will be able to enjoy coffee, cupcakes, fruit and cheese throughout the day and take home free gifts. Patients who are scheduled for their annual eye health and vision exam on Thursday will have the opportunity to spin the Wheel of Fortune to win prizes that include restaurant gift certificates from Peppo’s and Patio Ribs, among others, gift cards to Starbucks and Home Depot, sunglasses, contact lens supplies and other optical products.

Sunglass and optical frames reps as well as a contact lens representative will be available for consultation. Team members will enjoy a lunch catered by Harvest Room Restaurant while they participate in a brief workshop.

It will be a full, full day at Gardner Eye Care on Thursday, April 23. We invite you to join us!