PITTSBURGH, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium has partnered with Visionworks® to offer free admission to Zoo visitors who donate a pair of prescription eyeglasses during the month of April.
"We are excited to partner with Visionworks to encourage our visitors to recycle their old prescription eyeglasses and help someone who is not able to afford them," says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. "Most of us have glasses that are just sitting in a drawer. Why not donate them and enjoy a visit to the Zoo at the same time?" There is no limit on the number of prescription eyeglasses per family.
One of the nation's leading providers of eye care services, Visionworks is entering the Pittsburgh market with eight locations planned for Western PA. A full-service optical retail center that features several thousand private label and designer frames along with contact lenses at value prices, Visionworks stores also feature state-of-the-art processing laboratories on site, they provide one-hour service on most prescriptions.
"All of us at Visionworks are excited about this partnership. It's a real win-win that allows Pittsburghers to enjoy a world-class zoo experience while also providing the gift of sight for many disadvantaged people," said John DiIanni, Regional Vice President.
The donated glasses will be provided to New Eyes for the Needy, a non-profit organization that improves the vision of poor children, adults and seniors in the United States and throughout the world.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is open year round. For directions, hours, tickets and group sales information, call 412 665-3640. Visit the Zoo's website at www.pittsburghzoo.org. The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. For more information, visit www.aza.org.
Visionworks is a subsidiary of Eye Care Centers of America, Inc., a leading provider of eye care services with more than 430 optical retails stores in 35 states. Eye Care Centers of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVHC, Inc., a Highmark company. For more information about Eye Care Centers of America visit www.ecca.com.
Last year, New Eyes provided prescription eyeglasses for almost 6,000 needy U.S. residents. In addition, the non-profit organization sorted, tested and shipped 200,000 pairs of recycled eyeglasses to medical missions and international charitable organizations in 24 developing nations. For additional information, visit their website at www.neweyesfortheneedy.org.
SOURCE Visionworks
