Vision To Learn Partnership With Atlanta Hawks Foundation Has Helped 500 Students in Atlanta With Free Eye Exams and Glasses
Harry the Hawk and the Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders will help celebrate the milestone by providing glasses to students at Fred A. Toomer Elementary School
A partnership between the nonprofit Vision To Learn and the Atlanta Hawks Foundation celebrated a milestone today, helping its 500th student get a free eye exam and glasses at Fred A. Toomer Elementary School. The Atlanta Hawks Foundation partnership with Vision To Learn in Atlanta includes a Hawks-themed mobile clinic, player appearances, and financial support. The Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders were in attendance as 72 students tried on their brand new glasses for the first time. Vision To Learn’s program provides free eye exams and glasses to kids in Atlanta Public Schools.
Vision To Learn started year serving students in Atlanta in the fall of 2017. The program was founded in 2012 in Los Angeles, and now helps students in low-income communities in 10 states and more than 200 cities, from Honolulu to Baltimore.
A multi-year partnership with the Atlanta Hawks Foundation has helped fund the program; the Hawks mobile vision clinic will be on display at the Toomer event. Toomer Elementary is located near the Hawks community basketball court at the Bessie Branham Center of Hope.
“Vision To Learn provides kids with the glasses they need to succeed in school, and in life,” said Austin Beutner, Founder and Chair of Vision To Learn. “The support from the Atlanta Hawks Foundation will help us serve many more kids.”
“We’re delighted to celebrate this milestone with Vision to Learn and Atlanta Public Schools. 500 kids have been provided glasses through this program so far, and this is just the beginning. With the help of a pair of glasses, kids can achieve their highest and best in the classroom, on the court and in the community,” said David Lee, Executive Director, Atlanta Hawks Foundation.
“Atlanta Public Schools is excited to work with Vision To Learn to help students achieve in the classroom and beyond,” said APS Executive Director of Partnerships and Development Rachel Sprecher. “The support of the Atlanta Hawks Foundation reminds our students that wearing glasses is cool.”
About Vision To Learn
Vision To Learn started with one van in Los Angeles in 2012, and now helps kids in low-income communities in 10 states and more than 200 cities from Honolulu to Baltimore. Vision To Learn serves the needs of the hardest-to-reach children; more than 89% of kids served by Vision To Learn live in poverty and 87% of kids of color. Since its inception, Vision To Learn has helped screen over 550,000 kids, provided over 110,000 with eye exams, and over 85,000 with glasses, all free of charge.
About the Atlanta Hawks
With a bold identity and strong new ownership, the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club and Philips Arena remain committed to making Atlantans proud on the court and off. The 2014-15 Southeast Division Champions, the Hawks have made the postseason in 10 consecutive seasons and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history in 2015. Off the court, the organization has built a culture of inclusion, diversity and innovation, all with a touch of Southern Hospitality. It continues into the community where the organization builds bridges through basketball, whether by constructing and refurbishing courts in Atlanta neighborhoods, providing scholarships to our basketball camps, or surprising and delighting our fans with unique Atlanta Hawks experiences. Atlanta Hawks Membership, which includes your seat for every home game for the 2017-18 regular season games, is on sale now at www.hawks.com/membership or by calling 866-715-1500! For more information on the Hawks, log on to www.hawks.com today or follow us on twitter @ATLHawks.
About Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 52,000 students. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 89 schools and programs. For more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaPublicSchools/ and on Twitter @apsupdate.
