WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Nearly 20 Triad school children received a pair of glasses Thursday.
The glasses were a gift in lieu of IFB Solutions and technology developer Luxexcel celebrating one year of partnership.
The giveaway took place at IFB Solutions in Winston-Salem.
The glasses feature lenses made with IFB's 3D printer developed by Luxexcel, making it the world's first commercial 3D printer of ophthalmic lenses.
For many of the kids, it was their very first pair of glasses, which both companies hope will make a difference in the classroom.
One in four school-age children has vision problems that if left untreated can affect learning abilities according to 'Prevent Blindness America.'
“One of our biggest challenges in public education is meeting all the needs of children. Their medical, health, and physical needs happen beyond the classroom, but those needs are critically important to a child’s educational success. That’s why we are so grateful to have community partners like IFB and Luxexcel. Their gift of eyeglasses gives these students the gift of vision, something we could never do alone. At school and at home, vision is a vital part of a child’s overall well-being,” said Michael Pesce, WS/FCS Director of Social Work.
According to Chief Operating Officer for IFB Solutions Dan Kelly, the children will have a few bragging rights.
“The children will now be able to see what is happening on the board and have greater clarity when they are reading,” said Kelly.
“Plus, they will have bragging rights that their lenses were printed with this very cool 3D technology.”
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