The Vision of Children Foundation’s Sip to See, Springtime Tea” 2026

April 22, 2026 | The Del Mar Country Club

Maggie Bobileff (co-chair), Vivian Hardage (co-chair), Lynda Kerr (decor chair), & Kristi Pieper (co-chair).jpg

Lynda Kerr, Maria Delgado, Maggie Bobileff, & Mary Drake.jpg

Dr. Sandra Coufal, Avril Hibberd, & Melissa D'Amour.jpeg

Kim Boyle, Kirstjen Nielsen, & Stephanie Myers.jpg

Maria Delgado, Susan Hoehn, & Irina Fenison.jpg

Marian Benassi, Sam Hardage, & Vivian Hardage.jpg

Sam Hardage (co-founder), Vivian Hardage (co-founder), Dr. Karl Wahlin, Chase Hardage, & Diane Hardage.jpg

Photography by Lori Fox and xUncharted

About the Event

The Vision of Children Foundation hosted its highly anticipated annual “Sip to See, Springtime Tea” on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Del Mar Country Club. Event Chairs Kristi Pieper, Maggie Bobileff, and Vivian Hardage, along with the Foundation’s dedicated Advisory Board, welcomed more than 220 guests to an elegant midday gathering. This sold-out event’s proceeds supported groundbreaking research to cure genetic vision disorders and assist affected children and families.

Attendees enjoyed a traditional full tea service, boutique shopping, a beautifully curated silent auction, and exciting opportunity drawings. This year’s program featured a presentation by Dr. Karl Wahlin, a prominent figure in the field of ophthalmology. Receiving his PhD in Neuroscience from John Hopkins School of Medicine, his research focuses on the development of the human retina, the degeneration of photo receptors during disease, and the restoration of vision after retinal failure. In addition, a Vision of Children Foundation’s “Vision Hero” and two-time Paralympian Joel Gomez, spoke about his athletic accomplishments. He has represented the USA’s Paralympic team at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, most recently winning a gold medal in the 1500 meters at the World Para Athletics Championships in Delhi, India. Gomez, a Perdue University civil engineering graduate, has now set his sights on the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

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About The Vision of Children Foundation

Rancho Santa Fe residents Sam and Vivian Hardage established Vision of Children in 1991 after their son, Chase, was born with Ocular Albinism. At the time, no researchers were studying this rare genetic vision disorder, for which no treatments or cures exist. The Hardages were determined to encourage scientific research to find a cure for this congenital condition.

Today, as it celebrates over 30 years of research, Vision of Children is the foremost organization in the world supporting research for Ocular Albinism and related vision disorders with projects currently underway at The Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health.