Conexus expands Gift of Light campaign across Central Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The 8News partnership with Conexus for its annual Gift of Light campaign has returned to offer students across Central Virginia access to free eye exams and glasses.

This year, Conexus has expanded its operations to Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Caroline County, Staunton and more. The campaign now reaches over 40 school divisions across the commonwealth -- and the growth isn't slowing.

“We are laser focused on expanding our services because we want to reach more kids that are sitting in the classroom that are not performing well just because they need a pair of glasses,” said Tim Gresham, president and CEO of Conexus. “[We] go to the school and we screen the students. Then we come back with the mobile vision clinic and we provide eye exams and the opticians fit them with their glasses there. Then we come back about two weeks later, with the optician, with their glasses, and we dispense the glasses.”

Conexus' expansion is largely owed to donations from people across the community.

“Everything that we do is funded obviously by somebody," Gresham said. "So we're really limited by the amount of money that we can raise. And everything that we do in this world today costs money. So, just to buy a mobile vision clinic, just the van itself and the equipment that goes on it -- it's over $100,000 just for that capital equipment.”

Gresham says not all help is financial, however, with some community members helping to connect optometrists willing to support the mission.

“Obviously we need funding to expand, to buy equipment and to pay doctors and to pay other, other stuff," Gresham said. "But we also need people to just connect us with other people in the community to help us grow, to make those contacts, to raise money, to find doctors and find the support that we need to grow.”

If you would like to donate to Conexus, visit the 8News Gift of Light page by clicking here.