Brighten Your Day

Hero award given to 15 year-old providing free eyewear

July 10, 2012

Most 15 year-old's are busy making friends, playing sports, video games and going to school. Not Yash Gupta from Northwood High School, who started his own nonprofit organization to help the needy.

Gupta started Sight Learning, a nonprofit that supplies eyewear to kids in third world countries. Thanks to Gupta, kids who have never been able to afford a pair of glasses now have the opportunity to see correctly for the first time.

Sight Learning has raised over $70,000 in used glasses over just a few months. They aim to raise over $100,000 worth of eyewear by November 2012. The used glasses are collected from optometry offices all around the world.

Build-A-Bear Workshop recognized Gupta's initiative and honored him with the Huggable Hero award. Gupta will receive $10,000, plus a $7,500 educational scholarship along with $2,500 to donate to any charity of his choice.

Gupta continues to help the needy by organizing mission trips to Tijuana, Mexico and Copan, Honduras, helping over 5,000 people.

"To see first hand that the work you are doing is help­ing some­one is a great feel­ing, and I’m glad we’ve been able to make an impact," said Gupta.

Gupta and Sight Learning are off to great places in only it's first few months. There is no telling how much impact he will make in years to come.