CHICAGO (Aug. 27, 2010) – Star Pupils: Healthy Eyes for Healthy Futures partnered with Davis Vision and Sen. Kevin Parker (D-N.Y.) to bring 100 kids and families from the Flatbush YMCA and the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club to the New York Yankee game on Thurs., Aug. 19 to raise awareness of the importance of eye health—especially for children. Star Pupil ambassadors were invited onto the field as part of the pre-game ceremony and all participants were provided with Star Pupils t-shirts and fans.

“I strongly encourage parents to safeguard their children's eyesight as a gateway to ensure academic excellence,” said Senator Parker. “I proudly partner with Prevent Blindness America to highlight the importance of preventative eye care for our children.”

“Poor vision in childhood affects academic performance and can impair learning,” said Laura Dyer, Davis Vision’s assistant vice president of community relations. “This event is an excellent way to not only give back to the community, but to raise awareness on proper eye health.”

Star Pupils, a program of Prevent Blindness America, provides parents with the tools they need to ensure that their kids start the new school year as a Star Pupil. By visiting StarPupils.org, parents can obtain essential information on everything from common eye problems in children to eye safety to state specific vision care requirements as they get ready to go back to school.

“By working together with Davis Vision and Sen. Parker, we were able to bring local youth to enjoy a Yankees game, as well as had the opportunity to educate and inform the more than forty thousand game attendees about the importance of taking care of their vision, for themselves and their children,” said Hugh R. Parry, Prevent Blindness America president and CEO. “We want to say a special thank you to Davis Vision and Sen. Parker for their commitment to vision health and for helping to make this event possible.”

About Davis Vision

Davis Vision is part of the HVHC Inc. group of companies, which also includes Viva International Group and Eye Care Centers of America. Davis Vision has been providing comprehensive vision benefits for nearly 50 years, and currently serves over 55 million members nationwide through a network of nearly 30,000 ophthalmologists and optometrists, in addition to many opticians and top national retail providers. For more information about Davis Vision, visit davisvision.com.