This year’s spring eyeglasses collection and departmental competition may have been interrupted by COVID-19 shut-downs, but the results were not hindered. I total of 892 pairs were collected altogether, making it the third largest collection to take place in the six years of this program.
University Facilities and Services holds its eyeglasses recycling program twice per year in effort to help those in need see better. Prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses, reading glasses, sunglasses, and frames are accepted by the program. Once the glasses are collected, they are sent to the Lions Eye Bank at Rochester where they are then sent to The Lions Club International to be cleaned, sorted, and packaged. The donated eyeglasses are distributed to people in need, both domestically and in developing countries. The Lions Club International is a leading organization in collecting, recycling, and donating glasses in their efforts to improve sight and prevent blindness among those in need. The Lions Recycle for Sight program has collected thousands of pairs of used eyeglasses, sunglasses, new frames and other equipment. So far, 12 collections have been held at the University collecting a grand total of 7,427 pairs of glasses!
In the spirit of the annual RecycleMania competition, the spring program includes a departmental competition in which departments can win for either collecting the most pairs or creating the most “eye-catching” box. Congratulations to Social Work and Patient & Family Services whose lion-themed box (pictured above) won most “eye-catching”. The essential department continued to spread joy and collected 72 pairs. According to Secretary Aasa Hovey, “Our Lion has been a ‘bright’ spot and a nice distraction for our staff as well as those walking past our office.”
Although Patient Fanicial Services, was among those departments who were forced to end their collections early, they still took the prize for collecting the most glasses. Remittance Processor David Rappold and his colleagues managed to decorate their box and collect 75 pairs before the shut-down (pictured right).
UR Medicine Breast Imaging at Red Creek, the Department of History and the Finance Office also participated in the departmental competition, which brought in 199 pairs altogether. The drop-off box located at the Flaum Eye Institute colelcted 444 pairs and the mail-in program collected 249 pairs, for a grand total of 892 pairs.
To help overcome the feeling of helplessness amisdt the pandemic, many find solace in helping others in need. Donation programs like this are just one example. Learn more about how you can help URMC during this time.
A special thanks to Karen Guarino from the Lions Eye Bank at Rochester, and the Flaum Eye Institute for their continued support, and everyone who generously participated in this program to help others in need during this challenging time. We cannot thank our medical staff and essential employees enough for their work during this time.