(PRESS RELEASE) MIAMI – On Friday, January 31, 2020, Etnia Barcelona Foundation and partner Von Miller of the NFL’s Denver Broncos and his charitable organization, Von’s Vision will come together to host a one-day Vision Day Clinic for Super Bowl LIV in Miami, FL to provide visual care to low income children. With help from the University of Miami Athletics department, this special event will be held at the UM WATSCO Center between the hours of 2 and 7pm where economically-disadvantaged students ages 6 to 12 from local organizations like, Big Brothers Big Sisters will be invited to register for the program.
Several local Miami optometrists will be on site volunteering to conduct comprehensive optical examinations to each child in attendance. Once participants receive their screenings and exams, those with significant visual impairments will be able to select a new pair of high-end frames on behalf of the Etnia Barcelona Foundation. Prescription lenses will then be filled by Hero Practice Services and added to each student’s preferred frames to be distributed back to students within the following week. This fun-filled Super Bowl themed experience will make a visit to the eye doctor memorable as kids will enjoy free giveaways, activities, games, food and even a special appearance from Super Bowl 50 MVP, Von Miller.
Many of these children have not had access to visual care or seen an eye doctor prior, mainly due to financial limitations. The no-cost optical services provided through the program ensures that subpar vision will not negatively impact these students inside and outside the classroom. “With Super Bowl LIV being hosted Miami this year, we found this a great opportunity to come together and give back to our local community.”- Aitana Modolell, Director of Etnia Barcelona Foundation.
The demographic targeted by this outreach program faces significant barriers as a result of their visual impairments. For younger children in elementary school, poor vision leads to a greater inability to perform fundamental skills like reading and writing. Because a child may not be able to see words and numbers correctly, their ability to learn and develop is greatly impeded. Even vision that is only slightly worse than that of their classmates can cause children to quickly fall behind in school, significantly hindering their education in the long run.
As a pledge from both Von’s Vision and the Etnia Barcelona Foundation, this event will serve as the first of six “On the Road Vision Day’s” as they expand their community outreach programs across the United States in 2020.