The Pardall Center and the Associated Students Office of the External Vice President for Local Affairs hosted their first-ever “Sight-A-Thon” on Jan. 22. The event offered students free eye screenings, prescriptions and follow-up comprehensive eye exams.
The event offered students free eye screenings, prescriptions and follow-up comprehensive eye exams. Shengyu Zhang / Daily Nexus
The event was funded and supported by Johnson & Johnson, Alcon and the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara. It was created to aid low-income families who lack insurance. Close to 100 people attended the event, according to External Vice President for Local Affairs and third-year political science major E.J. Raad.
Connie Rodriguez, the S.E.E. International Local and Domestic Programs Coordinator, was responsible for setting up the event and assigning jobs. Rodriguez said she was satisfied with how the event went.
“I was actually pretty excited because I feel like a lot of the college and high school kids tend to get overlooked when it comes to vision and screenings, so I’m super glad that the outcome was positive,” Rodriguez said. “We have a lot of new patients, so I’m excited to see new faces in the clinic.”
Westmont College nursing students Chloe Clayton and Morgan Gallagher volunteered to give screenings at the Sight-A-Thon. Both said how essential it is that the Sight-A-Thon helps the financially disadvantaged.
“I think it’s a great way to help people, especially students who maybe don’t have jobs at the moment and are in need of an exam,” Clayton said. “It’s free, and it’s a good way to spread the word too, by being on a college campus.”
Gallagher similarly highlights how the Sight-A-Thon can increase accessibility to those with low incomes.
“I think the Sight-A-Thon is a great way to push out more access to students who are not in the financial capability of going in and getting a vision exam,” Gallagher said.
This also marks S.E.E. International’s second time running the Sight-A-Thon, and Rodriguez, Clayton and Gallagher’s first time.
