Kings' Tyreke Evans hosts basketball camp for kids

Originally published on SacramentoPress.com on June 25,2011

Sacramento Kings star Tyreke Evans, along with VSP Vision Care, hosted a basketball camp for kids Thursday and Friday.

The two-day camp was held for underprivileged kids in the Sacramento area, giving them a chance to meet Evans and have their eyes examined for free in a 41-foot mobile eye clinic brought by VSP Vision Care.

The camp was a collaboration among VSP Vision Care’s Diversity Council, Positive Coaching Alliance, Dr. Ephraim Williams Family Life Center and Chris Johnson Basketball Academy. Event co-sponsors Family Life Center and VSP Vision Asian Resources Inc. and the Greater Sacramento Area Urban League selected over 200 kids to attend the camp at the Dr. Ephraim Williams Family Life Center in Oak Park.

Inside the basketball gym, kids had the opportunity to play popular basketball games such as Around the World and Knockout with Evans.

“This camp was for the kids,” Evans said. “They don’t see too many NBA players come down and talk to them and play games with them. .It was fun playing games out there with them and answering their questions. It was great to see them smiling and having a good time.”

Following the games, Evans answered questions and signed autographs for the kids and parents. VSP opened up their mobile eye clinic for free eye exams for the kids, offering free glasses if needed.

“VSP has an awesome diversity council, and they inspired this event to get this camp going,” VSP operations manager Niki Myers said. “We have three mobile eye clinics, and we do free eye exams and free glasses for low-income, under-insured members of communities all over the United States.”

Myers stressed the importance of these eye exams to the kids and parents.

“Parents should give eye exams as early as six months and then ever couple of years,” she said. “Vision can change, and there are over 30 different eye diseases. Eye exams will help, and if glasses are needed it’ll help kids to do better in school and achieve their full potential.”

Evans recognized the efforts of VSP Vision Care and also understands the importance of having good vision.

“Some of them probably haven’t had their eyes checked since they were born,” he said. “You need to know how your eyes are going, especially if you’re going to play sports. To get them checked out here for free, you can’t beat that.”

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