Sight For Kids provides eye screenings for 500 children at Spooktacular

The Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation and Sight For Kids hosted the third annual Spooktacular event Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, delivering eye care services and Halloween activities to 500 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida.

The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of youth eye health while offering vision screenings for local students. According to program organizers, 80% of what children learn occurs visually, meaning uncorrected vision problems can lead to reading difficulties, lower confidence, and misidentified classroom behavior issues.

Sight For Kids is a joint initiative created by Johnson & Johnson and the Lions Clubs International Foundation to deliver free, comprehensive vision care to students attending underserved schools.

The event featured Halloween-inspired activities including trick-or-treating, dinner, games, and appearances by Jacksonville Jaguars Legends, team mascot Jaxson de Ville, the D-Line drumline, and members of The Roar cheerleading squad.

Vision screenings at the convention center were conducted in collaboration with several local organizations, including Vision is Priceless, the Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program, and volunteers from the Lions Clubs of District 35 L in Northern Florida.

Since the Spooktacular event began in 2024, approximately 1,100 Jacksonville-area students have received eye screenings through the program. More than 250 of those children were referred to on-site mobile units for comprehensive vision exams, free eyeglasses, or follow-up care.

Organizational leaders in attendance included Ryan Reinhardt, vice president of supply chain, vision at Johnson & Johnson; Joe Preston, past international president of Lions Clubs International Foundation; and Whitney Meyer, senior vice president and chief community impact officer for the Jaguars.

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