Nov 6, 2009 3:57 pm US/Eastern
Brotherly Love: The Gift of Sight
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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She's only in middle school, and she's trying to help hundreds of people see. It started as a school project, but it's become so much more. The idea came to her in the blink of an eye, and just like that, she put her idea into action.
CBS
She's only in middle school, and she's trying to help hundreds of people see. It started as a school project, but it's become so much more. The idea came to her in the blink of an eye, and just like that, she put her idea into action.
It was while she was putting in her contacts that Sicklerville, New Jersey 8th grader Jillian Bottino thought, what if I could help others who need glasses?
"I've been wearing glasses since second grade, and I have really bad eyes, so I can't imagine not wearing them," said Jillian.
So she sat down and wrote a letter: "My goal is to collect one hundred pairs of glasses and give the give the gift of sight to those less fortunate."
For four weeks, she sent out letters and collection boxes looking for old prescription glasses.
This past weekend with her friends and family, she counted and checked each pair, hoping to reach her goal of one hundred. She not only did she reached it, she shattered it.
"I would never have thought we would've got 457! Like, I didn't even think we would get a hundred," said Jillian.
But now 457 people will have the chance to see.
Jillian's parents knew she was onto something when the glasses just kept coming.
"We were just overwhelmed," said Jillian's mother, Jennifer. "Every day we would get boxes at the door from colleagues, from families, from school. We just kept counting. We have two full boxes. Couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that that many people had that many glasses just lying around."
What they do believe is that their little girl has made a difference for so many people who can't see.
"We take for granted all the luxuries that we have, and if we can share that with someone else who doesn't have it, it's something we can be proud of, and we're proud of her," said Jennifer. "She did a great job."
The Lion's Club says the glasses will be cleaned up, labeled with the prescription, and then redistributed. They say 153 million people worldwide need glasses but can't afford them.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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