15-Year-old Wins $10,000 Hero Award for Providing Eyewear to Poor

By Good News Network Monday, July 09, 2012

Family Life - Kids

Most kids with vision problems don't look past the tip of their own nose when it comes to the issue of prescription eyewear. But not Yash Gupta, a 15-year-old high school junior from Irvine, California. His vision has extended to thousands of people who have benefitted from his nonprofit, Sight Learning, which provides eyewear for students who can't afford it.

Gupta has been named one of 15 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes and awarded $10,000 in cash and a $7,500 educational scholarship for his outstanding work.

The donated eyeglasses are distributed to students in need in the United States, Mexico and Honduras. To date, Sight Learning has collected more than $35,000 in donations and also organizes and runs eye exam clinics.

Yash wears glasses himself and knows firsthand how difficult learning becomes when you do not have the glasses you need.

Sight Learning has partnered with other organizations, such as VOSH and New Eyes for the Needy and was recently recognized as an Official Presidential Volunteer Service Award Organization.

He joins 3 other boys and 11 girls, all remarkable youth from the United States and Canada named as 2012 Huggable Heroes, who have demonstrated outstanding community leadership and service.

The Good News Network will feature one hero each day over the next two weeks.

(READ more about Yash in the O.C. Register)

RELATED: Ten Huggable Heroes Each Awarded $10,000 (2010)