By Aditi Singh
Over the past three years, members of the SSHS Leo Club have dedicated their extracurricular hours to community service, especially when it comes to addressing vision impairment issues. The Leo Club has organized drop-boxes for glasses at the high school and Wilton mall, and volunteered to sort recycled eyeglasses.
“The LEO club is an extension of the Lions Club International,” said Mr. McGuiggan, a member of the Lions Club and the SSHS Leo Club’s adviser. “The primary focus is vision and supporting people who have vision needs.”
Saratoga Springs high school students who look carefully will have seen the Lions Club’s eyeglass drop boxes in the mailroom, Mr. McGuiggan’s office (D211), and Mr. McGuiggan’s classroom (D222). Other sites can be found locally, such as one in the Wilton Mall. Club members encourage anyone in the community to consider donating their old eyeglasses to the Lions Club by dropping them off in one of these boxes.
In addition to collecting eyeglasses, the SSHS Leo Club also hosts recycling sessions each year where volunteers can sign up and sort eyeglasses. The club sorted 27,000 pairs of glasses last year and 18,000 pairs of glasses this year.
Ava Dallas and Emilia Brueggeman, the Leo Club officers, arranged the eyeglass sorting events this year amidst the coronavirus pandemic. “We organized and talked to him [Mr. McGuiggan] for the eyeglasses sorting and we directed people, when they came, on what to do and how the sorting process went,” said Ava Dallas, LEO Club officer. According to McGuiggan, sorted eyeglasses are distributed and sent to New Jersey where they are recycled and sent around the world to help those who need visual aid, but do not have the resources to obtain their prescriptions.
Both Dallas and Brueggeman enjoyed the work of organizing the sorting experience and serving the community. “You get community hours, and this year it was super informal,” said Brueggeman.
Although the sorting session for this school year is over, the club hopes to grow in the coming years. Interested students should reach out to Mr. McGuiggan or any of the Business Department teachers. Mr. McGuiggan is deeply passionate about the recycling program, having had vision problems himself. “Vision is something that is very important to me,” Mr. McGuiggan said. “It’s something that’s always been part of my life, it’s part of who I am.”