Buccaneer Vision Mobile provides clearer future for kids

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While it may look like a giant red mobile home on the outside, the Buccaneer Vision Mobile is actually a self-contained eye center on wheels.  It travels around to schools to help children see better.

Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, co-president of the Glazer Family Foundation, says helping children see better has been a passion of the Glazer family since 1999.

"We've given away 66,000 eye exams and 10,000 pairs of glasses -- prescription glasses," she said.

The project is a perfect fit for Buccaneer defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. He knows firsthand how important it is to see clearly.

"When you're out on the football field, for me, everything's big because I play against a lot of large humans, so I don't wear my glasses on the field. But if I go to meetings without my glasses on, I can't see what's on the film," McCoy said.

Gerald says, as a child, his vision problems interfered with his learning.  "I was always staying after class, or not understanding. Once I got my glasses I would be able to keep up and even be ahead."

Gerald says along with lifting barriers to learning there's another benefit, one that touches the heart.

"Best part of everything I've seen this process, is when the kids take out the glasses and I have them put the glasses on and everybody goes, wow!" McCoy continued.

The vision van makes its way to 60 schools, including 24 Buccaneer Academies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.  You can also find it at special events around Tampa Bay.