During the last few months, members of the Haines Middle School Student Council’s Community Services Committee started a campaign to collect used eyeglasses, sunglasses and cases from around Haines. Committee members posted notices around town, on the community website and placed collection boxes around town. A total of 196 glasses were collected! We also collected 48 pairs of sunglasses, 64 used cases and a big bag of lenses and parts. Members of the Juneau Lions Club picked up these glasses for their recycled eyeglass program. The glasses will be sent to a reconditioning facility in Anchorage, then redistributed to people who cannot afford new glasses throughout Alaska. Thank you to Olerud’s Market Center and the Haines Senior Center for allowing us to place collection boxes there, and a special thank you to everyone who donated their used eyeglasses. We learned how, with just a little work in such a great community, it’s possible to make the gift of sight available for many more.
Seth Waldo, Community Service Chairperson
Hudson Sage, Student Council President