Pamula Thomas, a Cincinnati Public School administrator, has seen what a pair of eyeglasses can do for a struggling student. And that's why she went more than the extra mile for kids Sunday when she ran in the LensCrafters' Third Annual Eye Run for Vision 5K Run/Walk.

        Ms. Thomas, ombudsperson for CPS, has been the coordinator of the LensCrafters' Give the Gift of Sight program with CPS since 1993.

        “Oftentimes, children are misdiagnosed as having learning problems when they simply have vision problems,” she said. “A simple pair of glasses opens doors for children to a lot of educational opportunities they probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise.”

        Ms. Thomas was among 1,000 runners and walkers, double the number of participants from last year's event. It's estimated that each participant's $15 registration fee will help provide free eye exams and glasses to three people in a developing country or one child in need on the LensCrafters' Vision Van.

        Ms. Thomas sets up screening services in the schools, coordinates the Vision Van visits in the spring, and takes students to LensCrafters stores on Hometown Day when pre-selected students can get help.

        When she first started, eight schools participated. Now, that number is up to more than 75. Some 100,000 students have been screened over the years, and thousands have received free glasses.

        In 1988, LensCrafters, a Cincinnati-based company, created Give the Gift of Sight, a charitable program that has helped more than 2 million underprivileged people see clearly in the United States and developing countries.

        LensCrafters doctors and associates work with Lions Club International to collect and recycle old glasses, embark on optical missions in developing countries, offer vision screenings at health fairs, and provide glasses to pre-selected needy people in its stores and two mobile Vision Vans.

        Ms. Thomas participated in an international mission to Toluca, Mexico earlier this year.

        “The children were very excited,” she said. “A lot of them have never had glasses. We had one high school student who couldn't read the big E on the chart. We wondered how she made it this far. She said her friends helped her.”

        Since 1991, LensCrafters Foundation has sponsored 55 missions to 25 countries, helping more than 753,000 people. In 2002, LCF will travel to nine countries, including Brazil, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela.

        The company's goal is to help 3 million people around the world by 2003.

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