BRANDON, Fla.—Etnia Barcelona has announced it is partnering with Von’s Vision Foundation and five local ODs to host a one-day vision program on Saturday, February 6, at Bell Shoals Church in Brandon, Florida, located an hour outside of Tampa, where Super Bowl LV will take place the next day. The program will provide basic vision screening exams free of cost to children and students, as well as full examinations to determine what type of corrective eyewear they need. If necessary, eyewear will be facilitated to children and students in need.

Founded by Denver Broncos player Von Miller Jr., Von’s Vision provides low-income Denver children with the eyecare and corrective eyewear they need. Programs like this one allow Von’s Vision to help children outside the Denver area as well. The five Florida-based ODs who will take part are: Dr. Ornella Aluweisi and Dr. Ryan Oldin of Eyes On Lakeland; Dr. Pauline Thai of Florida Eye Specialist & Cataract Institute; Dr. Kimberly Chaney; and Dr. Marielle Alcantara of OptiMart.

The program is aimed at children ages 6-12, and will see a total of 150 registrants. A spokesperson for Etnia Barcelona said, “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. Etnia Barcelona Foundation in collaboration with Von’s Vision hopes to ensure that subpar vision will not negatively impact these students inside and outside the classroom.”