NBC10’s Johnny Archer to host Salus University’s 16th annual ‘Looking Out for Kids’ charity fundraiser on November 11

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October 19th, 2023 | By Ryan Genova

For the second consecutive year, NBC10 anchor Johnny Archer will host Salus University’s 16th annual “Looking Out for Kids” (LOFK) charity fundraiser on Saturday, November 11 at 6:30pm at the Switch House at The Battery, 1325 Beach Street.

All proceeds from the event support vision and hearing services for youth.

This year’s event is honoring Dr. Susan C. Oleszewski – Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University professor emeritus and Looking Out for Kids founder – as this year’s Lighthouse Award recipient.

Archer joined NBC10 in December 2021 and serves as NBC10 5 p.m. news anchor, reporting on weekdays and weekends. He is passionate about giving a voice to those who feel they are not being heard. As a reporter, he desires to tell truthful stories that inspire others to be better. He also aspires to connect and build relationships with Philadelphia residents.

Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Archer attended Downingtown High School and Delaware County Community College. He then went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University. He also is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and enjoys volunteering at local community events.

At last year’s LOFK benefit, Archer was filling in for longtime event host Rosemary Connors. It was Archer’s first time serving as the event’s emcee and he is happy to be returning to the role again this year. “I love the kids and that’s what this is about. Hearing their stories, hearing what they went through and hearing what their aspirations are was inspiring for me. It makes this whole event come together,” he said.

All proceeds from the LOFK initiative help provide vision and hearing care for under-insured and uninsured children in Philadelphia and its surrounding communities. Early diagnosis and treatment of vision and hearing problems in children is key. One in four children suffers from visual difficulties, which can adversely impact their school performance and impede social development. Since its inception, the LOFK program has brightened thousands of children’s lives to enhance educational performance.

Currently, the LOFK program provides vision and hearing services to the School District of Philadelphia, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Cheltenham, Abington, Jenkintown, Norristown Area School District (NASD), Upper Darby, Souderton and Chester-Upland school districts with the University’s Mobile Vision Care Unit. The “Big Red Bus,” as it is affectionately nicknamed, includes all the essential equipment needed to complete a comprehensive vision exam.

Working with the School District of Philadelphia nurses during the 2022-23 academic year, The Eye Institute (TEI) provided the following services to children in Philadelphia and surrounding area schools:

  • Vision screenings to 5,758 children (737 children required vision correction).
  • Comprehensive vision and ocular health examinations to more than 434 children at one of TEI’s locations.  
  • Distributing more than 776 pairs of eyeglasses to Philadelphia’s public school children.

TEI also provided eye care to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools with 1,527 screened, 56 examined and 98 glasses distributed.

In the NASD, Cheltenham, Jenkintown, Abington, Souderton, Chester-Upland, Upper Darby, and Central Bucks School Districts combined, TEI’s vision care team provided 665 eye exams and distributed 1,162 pairs of eyeglasses. 

In the 2022-2023 academic year, the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) visited 24 schools and screened 2,046 students. Each child had a brief report written about the results of the screening to let the parent know if additional testing was needed, or if they needed to see their pediatrician about a possible medical problem. Of those screened, approximately 467 were referred for additional testing, some needing complete audiograms, some just needing to be rescreened. If a child was diagnosed with hearing loss, they were fitted with a hearing aid.


To learn more, purchase tickets, become a sponsor or make a tax-deductible donation, you can click here.

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