Latest News Liberty Sport and Prevent Blindness Announce ‘Sports Eye Injury Prevention Center of the Year’ Award Winners By Staff Friday, April 24, 2015 12:15 AM Angela Gerber of Liberty Sport (l) and Diana Canto-Sims, owner and founder of Buena Vista Optical. FAIRFIELD, N.J.—Liberty Sport and Prevent Blindness honor 12 leading eyecare practices in the U.S. as “Sports Eye Injury Prevention Center of the Year” award winners. Recipients were chosen for their advances in increasing awareness of as well as contributing to the reduction of sports related eye injuries within their respective communities. The winners will be awarded with a plaque along with various incentives congratulating them on their efforts. The 2015 “Sports Eye Injury Prevention Center of the Year” award winners include Accurate Eye Care of Manalapan, N.J; Belill Eyecare of Clio, Mich.; Buena Vista Optical of Chicago, Ill.; Envision Optics of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Frontier Family Vision of Naperville, Ill.; Heffington Optical of Springfield, Mo.; Academy Kids Vision of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Linden Optometry of Pasadena, Calif.; Pediatric Eyecare of Overland Park, Kan.; University Optical of Omaha, Neb.; Young Eyes of Baltimore, Md.; and Your Eyes of New Britain, Conn.“We commend them for their commitment to the cause of reducing the number of sports related eye injuries and saving the eyesight of our children,” said Anthony DiChiara, president and CEO of Liberty Sport.Every year, thousands of adults and children sustain eye injuries in a variety of sports, Liberty Sport said in an announcement. In an effort to educate the public on the importance of wearing eye protection while engaging in sports, the groups have joined together for the “Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month” program in September since 2010. The program provides eyecare professionals with free materials to distribute including graphics and printed pieces. “The effects of an eye injury can last a lifetime. By consistently wearing the proper eye protection while playing any sport, we can keep our eyes and vision healthy for years to come,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “We congratulate all of this year’s winners for their dedication to saving sight and encourage other practices to join our program.”