Free Eye Exams For New York Elementary Students

Billie Jean King, Pearle Vision & OneSight Call Attention to the Need for Proper Eye Care for School-age Children

Billie Jean King brought star power and New York City-area Pearle Vision owners brought volunteers to a one-day vision care clinic at Girls Prep Lower East Side Elementary on Feb. 26.

A first-grade classroom at Girls Prep is named for the tennis icon, who learned she had a vision problem in elementary school thanks to an observant teacher. “My first pair of glasses changed everything, from school to the court,” she has said. “Being able to see clearly was critical for me to achieve all that I wanted.”

King, who visits her namesake classroom annually, was on hand while volunteers from Pearle Vision and OneSight, a global vision care nonprofit, performed eye exams aboard OneSight’s mobile vision unit. After testing 54 young patients, 42 of them, or 78 percent, were found to need glasses.

They are not alone. Nationally, one in four school-age children has an undiagnosed vision problem.

Because of her personal experience, King last year partnered with Pearle Vision to launch #RaiseYourGlasses, a campaign designed to celebrate how proper eye care and eyewear can help bring dreams to life.

Learn more about the New York event here.