I’ve been living in New York for almost three years now, but I will never stop being a Florida girl. Growing up in the Sunshine State, sunglasses were essential to any look. While I had my share of shades, I can’t say that I grew up thinking eyewear was something to splurge on. After all, the ocean has unfortunately claimed its fair portion of my frames.

However, as National Sunglasses Day approaches, the importance of using proper sunwear to protect the eyes from UV rays makes it much more than an accessory. It’s a necessity to maintaining healthy eyes.

According to an infographic on the National Sunglasses Day resource page, “two in three Americans leave eyes unguarded on cloudy or rainy days.” Along with this, “the dangers of unprotected UV exposure are under recognized such as sunburned eyes, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.”

It’s one problem when individuals don’t know they’re damaging their eyes, but a whole separate battle when Americans aren’t getting their annual eye exams.

Last month, at the VM Summit it was announced that Jobson Optical Group was joining Think About Your Eyes as an official media partner. This organization, and its national, multimedia public awareness campaign, aims to educate the public on the benefits of vision health and promote the importance of getting an annual comprehensive eye exam.

According to Think About Your Eyes, nearly 50 percent of parents with children under the age of six have never taken their child to the eye doctor.

Whether you’re on the medical, fashion or technology side of our industry, it’s our duty to continue raising the public’s awareness about eye health and eye-care. To be effective, we must be united in this cause and support these initiatives in full force.

In the words of Mattie Stepanek, poet and peace activist, “Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”

jwilson@jobson.com