Palmer Lions Club collecting eyeglasses

The Palmer Lions are trying to make the world see more clearly through the use of pizza.

The Lions are conducting an eyeglasses drive at local elementary schools, and local pizza companies have gotten behind the project by offering a pizza party to the classroom that comes up with the most sets of eyeglasses in each school.

"We're hoping for 2,000 pairs of glasses," said Dee Hilbert of the Palmer Lions Club. "Pizza makes kids pretty enthused. It's great how these pizza places are working together to help us."

Sight Night is an international Lions project, usually held on Halloween. Around the world, eyeglasses are collected, repaired, cleaned and then given to those who need glasses but can't afford them, Hilbert said. This year, the drive is going on until Oct. 30.

"People can drop off eyeglasses at schools if they want," Hilbert said.

This year, volunteers and LensCrafters will provide eye exams and recycled glasses to people in countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Panama and Paraguay. The Palmer Lions Club also helps pay for glasses for people in the Valley community, Hilbert said.

The schools participating in the drive, and the pizza company donating the party, are: Cottonwood Creek Elementary, Papa Murphy's; Goose Bay Elementary, Sammy's Pizza; Iditarod Elementary, Sammy's Pizza; Pioneer Peak Elementary, Evangelo's; Snowshoe Elementary, Pizza Cache; Larson Elementary, Pizza Hut; Meadow Lakes Elementary, Meadow Lakes Pizza; Sherrod Elementary, Pioneer Pizza.