September is Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month

Chicago-Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has dedicated the month of September as Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month in order to educate the public on the best ways to keep eyes safe while partaking in sports activities.

According to the organization, every year, about 6,000 Americans suffer an eye injury related to playing basketball. Additionally, the Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries reported that 1 in 10 college basketball players would sustain an eye injury.

As part of the Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month initiatives, PBA has joined with the Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport to provide eye-care professionals with free information and materials through the campaign.

“An eye injury can happen in a moment but have an effect that lasts a lifetime,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and chief executive officer of PBA. “We encourage adults and children to take steps today to find the right sports eye protection to protect their vision and consistently make their eye safety a priority every time they enter the game.”

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