Mrs. World Speaks to Wesley Chapel Rotary about Fighting Blindness
By Kyle Brown
Mrs. World 2012, April Lufriu, was the guest speaker at Wednesday's Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon luncheon at Pagelli's Italiano restaurant in the Shops at Wiregrass (SR 56 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd.). Rotarian David West said “She has a great attitude, humility, compassion, and kindness to go with her obvious good looks, nice lady and we are all glad she was able to visit our club and speak to us about Foundation Fighting Blindness for which she is national spokesperson.†“Mrs. World 2012, April Lufriu told us her compelling personal story about blindness in her family, and why the FoundationFightingBlindness.org is such an important resource†said West.
Born to Honduran parents, Lufriu is a Tampa native, wife and mother of three. She and her husband George run Lufriu Marble, Inc., a successful granite and marble fabrication business. Lufriu earned her Mrs. America title in May 2011, and Mrs. World in December 2011. Lufriu was diagnosed in 2010 with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a genetic retinal degenerative eye disease that gradually leads to blindness, which also affects two of her children. She and her sister established the Foundation Fighting Blindness and its Tampa Chapter in 2007, and co-chaired Tampa's first VisionWalk in 2008. Lufriu, now the Tampa Bay Chapter President, is on a mission to find a cure for RP. She speaks at numerous events to raise awareness and funds for retinal degenerative eye diseases, and is currently the national spokesperson for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.