May 31, 2018 | Flint Now
Tom Gores and FlintNOW bring Vision To Learn to Flint, Providing Free Eye Exams and Glasses to Students in Need
FLINT, Mich. – An estimated 1,000 children in Flint Community Schools (FCS) go to school every day without the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, or participate in the classroom. Tom Gores, owner of the Detroit Pistons and founder of the FlintNOW Foundation, is partnering with Vision To Learn on a new initiative to provide free vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to every student in need, K-12, throughout FCS.
“Kids in Flint still need our support more than ever and we’re committed to looking out for their future,” said Mr. Gores. “We are proud to bring Vision To Learn into this community to give children the gift of sight, a tool with lasting impact that will make a difference in their lives for years to come.”
Mr. Gores and the Detroit Pistons Foundation first helped bring Vision To Learn to Detroit in 2017, and they are now expanding the partnership to Flint. The new initiative officially launched this week at Brownell K-12 STEM Academy, where 49 students put new glasses to work for the first time. Throughout the summer and into next school year, this effort will expand across the district.
“We provide kids with the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life,” said Vision To Learn Founder Austin Beutner. “Two million kids across the country lack the glasses they need, and we’ll keep working to make sure they get the help they deserve.”