“Eyecare About Reading” Book Drive Competition Provides Free Books and Eye Exams to Children Across the U.S.
To read well, a child first needs to see well, as 80 percent of what we
learn is through our eyes. However, an astonishing one in four children
has an undetected vision problem—many of which are due to lack of
vision care. To shed light on the critical role healthy vision plays in
helping to develop a child’s passion for reading and learning,
HYPERLINK "http://www.vsp.com" VSP Vision Care, HYPERLINK "http://www.transitions.com/"T
Three well-known bloggers from across the country including Atlanta blogger Meghan Cooper from HYPERLINK "http://jamonkey.com/" JaMonkey and Atlanta Moms on the Move HYPERLINK "http://atlmomsonthemove.com",
“Reading
opens worlds of opportunities for children throughout their academic
and personal lives,” shared Jennifer Frances, founder of Bess the Book
Bus. “I am thrilled to be a part of this campaign, which will help to
spread the love of reading to kids, many of whom have never had a book
of their own or access to proper eye care, potentially hindering their
reading skills.”
Eye Health & Reading:
80% of what we learn is through our eyes and an astonishing one in four children have an undetected vision problem.
Approximately
20% of school-aged children struggle to read. A large portion of these
children have vision problems that interfere with their ability to
read.
10%
percent of school-aged children have eye teaming problems, which causes
visual strain and words to appear blurred or scrambled.
While
it’s recommended that children get an annual eye exam every year once
they start kindergarten, it has been reported that more than 76% of
American children under the age of five have never received a
comprehensive eye exam.
How the Book Drive works:
For
every three books donated in the competition (either through the
bloggers or online), VSP will donate one free eye exam (and, if needed,
glasses fitted with Transitions lenses) to Children's Healthcare of
Atlanta for children without access to these services. VSP will provide
up to 5,500 free eye exams in total for the campaign, a value of more
than $2,000,000.
If
Atlanta collects the most books Children's Healthcare of Atlanta will
receive an additional 100 free eye exams (and glasses with Transitions
lenses), as well as a special visit from Bess the Book Bus and the
VSP/Transitions Optical Mobile Eyes clinic nicknamed HYPERLINK "https://vspglobal.com/cms/
“Increasing
access to quality eyecare is a priority for VSP,” said Connie Vavricek,
director of industry outreach at VSP Vision Care. “To partner with
organizations such as Transitions Optical and Bess the Book Bus, who
share our passion to give back, increases the collective reach to make a
positive impact on the life of a child.”
How to participate:
The book drive will be from July 17-August 22.
Metro Atlanta residents will be able to donate their new (for the safety of patients) books at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Urgent Care Centers listed below. Hours of operation for the centers is 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9a.m. to 9p.m. on weekends.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Urgent Care Centers
Children's at Mount Zion (through Friday 27th and Hudson Bridge location opens August 1)
Attn: Lisa Gaither
Attn: Lisa Gaither
Children's at North Point
Attn: Rose Weber
Attn: Rose Weber
Children's at Satellite Boulevard
Attn: Katina Artis
Attn: Katina Artis
Children's at Town Center
Children's at Forsyth
If you live outside of these areas, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.Facebook.com/
To donate a book, visit the Book Drive Tab at HYPERLINK "http://www.Facebook.com/
About VSP Global
VSP Global® includes
VSP Vision Care, the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and
services company in the United States with 57 million members; Marchon®
Eyewear Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers, designers and
distributors of quality fashion and technologically-advanced eyewear and
sunwear; Eyefinity® which offers innovative solutions and
the premier management software and technology to improve overall
practice management and patient experience; VSP Optics Group, industry
leaders in new technologies, production processes, service and
logistics.
About Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to
enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care,
research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits
annually at three hospitals and 17 neighborhood locations, Children’s
is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the
country. Children’s offers access to more than 30 pediatric specialties
and is ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S.News & World
Report. With generous philanthropic and volunteer support, Children’s
has made an impact in the lives of children in Georgia, the United
States and throughout the world.
Visit www.choa.org for more information.
About Meghan Cooper
Meghan
is the creator of Atlanta Moms on the Move, a free resource for parents
looking for fun things to do with their kids around metro Atlanta as
well as Family travel. She writes a parenting blog at JaMonkey.com and is a contributing writer to Fox 5 Atlanta's My Atlanta Moms. Find out more about Meghan Cooper are www.megcooper.com
About Bess the Book Bus
Founded
solely by Frances in 2004, Bess the Book Bus began visiting schools,
shelters and after-school programs in the Tampa area to distribute
children’s books and host readings for underprivileged children. Since
then, Frances’ efforts have expanded, servicing more than 200 children
and adults in need each week to promote literacy. Frances gives more
than 50,000 new books each year to schools, community centers and
shelters, with 2011 being the record year, distributing nearly 100,000
books. Her program continues to grow as Frances prepares for her third
multi-city tour across the country. For more information about the
program, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.bessthebookbus.org
About Transitions Optical, Inc.
Transitions
Optical is a joint venture of PPG Industries, Inc. and Essilor
International. The first to successfully commercialize a plastic
photochromic lens in 1990, today the company is a leading provider of
photochromics to optical manufacturers worldwide. Transitions Optical
offers the most advanced photochromic technology in the widest selection
of lens designs, materials and brand names.
Transitions®
lenses are the ideal everyday choice for healthy sight. They are clear
indoors and at night. Outdoors, they automatically darken as light
conditions change. Transitions lenses provide visual comfort, and
enhance visual quality by reducing glare and enhancing contrast, helping
you to see better today. Transitions lenses block 100 percent of
harmful UVA and UVB rays – helping to protect the health and wellness of
your eyes – so you can see better tomorrow as well.
For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, visit Transitions.com or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).
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