ATLANTA—Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and National Vision Inc. (NVI) officially kicked-off their multi-year partnership here at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s A.W. “Tony” Matthews Club with an eye screening and glasses fitting program. The partnership, officially announced last fall, will provide vision screenings, access to comprehensive eye exams and free eyeglasses for qualified members at select Boys & Girls Clubs around the country through NVI’s America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses retail locations.

As part of the partnership, in addition to providing free eyecare and eyewear to eligible Boys & Girls Clubs, NVI will also contribute $1 million annually over the next three years to support BGCA and its preventive care and wellness initiatives.

“Preventive care measures are critical to supporting positive and comprehensive health and wellness of Boys & Girls Club members,” said Dr. Jennifer Bateman, national vice president of Health, Wellness and Gender at BGCA. “As an example, a pilot vision screening at the Matthews Club revealed that 43 percent of the young kids and teens tested needed further examination, and more than half of that group had never worn corrective eyewear.

“Corrected vision enables our kids and teens to be more engaged at school, on the field and at home, dramatically changing their trajectory and putting them on a path to a great future. We are incredibly grateful to National Vision and their participating America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses stores for their involvement and support.”

Boys & Girls Clubs around the country serve kids and teens aged 6 to 18. According to the 2016 Vision Council VisionWatch Parent Child Vision Care Report, 50 percent of children have not had an eye exam in the past two years.

“At National Vision, we believe everyone deserves to see their best so they can live their best, especially our youth,” said Bruce Steffey, president and chief operating officer of National Vision Inc. “For many kids, a pair of glasses can change their life. With 94 percent of our America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses stores located within 10 miles of a Club, this partnership is a perfect match.”

National Vision Inc. is one of the largest optical retailers in the U.S., operating over 850 retail locations in 44 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The company has several retail divisions including America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Vision Centers brought to you by Wal-Mart, Eyeglass World, Vista Optical inside Fred Meyer and Optical Centers on select military bases. America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses is NVI’s current retail provider for the partnership with BGCA and Clubs across the country.

To learn more about the partnership, visit www.nationalvision.com/BGC.