Lake Whitney student initiates eyeglass-donation project

The elementary school fourth-grader nearly doubled her goal of collecting 125 pairs of glasses for people in need.

By Amy Quesinberry Price
| 3:18 p.m. March 20, 2019

Members of the Winter Garden Lions Club recognized Chloe McCarron for collecting two boxes full of eyeglasses.

West Orange Times & Observer
Neighborhood

Chloe McCarron has been recognized by the Winter Garden Lions Club for her role in establishing an eyeglass-collection project at her school. The 10-year-old Lake Whitney Elementary School student set up a donation box in the front office, and a flier went home with students asking for used prescription and reading eyeglasses.

She was hoping to collect 125 pairs — but what she received was nearly double that number. A total of 231 pairs were collected in a one-month period.

Principal Beth Prince was in awe of Chloe and the over-exceeding results of her initiative.

“She wrote a proposal and submitted it to the (School Advisory Council),” she said. “The SAC unanimously voted that we were going to partner with the Lions Club. We’re very proud of Chloe.”

Members of the Winter Garden club were on the Lake Whitney campus Thursday, March 14, to present two awards to Chloe during the school’s morning television announcements. Lions Al White, Linda Lucero and Cathy Tapley gave Chloe a certificate of appreciation from the Lions Club; and Steven Van Varick, representing Project Right to Sight — which will receive the glasses Chloe collected — gave her another certificate from that organization.

Chloe received a stuffed lion and a pin, as well.

PROJECT RIGHT TO SIGHT

Lions Clubs International continues to fight blindness with its Project Right to Sight. Through this project, founded in 1990, eyecare professionals provide eye exams; and eyeglasses are collected, reconditioned and recycled to homeless and uninsured people in Central Florida. Glasses also are provided for vision projects around the world.

In Central Florida alone, nearly 33,000 pairs of glasses and cases were sorted last month for Project Right to Sight.

author

Amy Quesinberry Price

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry Price was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.