CHARLOTTE – The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation (DNTF) – in collaboration with the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC – hosted two events with Vision To Learn on September 23 and 25, bringing no-cost eyeglasses to students in North and South Carolina.
On September 23, representatives from Tepper Sports & Entertainment and Vision to Learn, including Vision to Learn President Ann Hollister, Panthers legend Mike Rucker, the Panthers' Sir Purr and TopCats cheerleaders visited elementary and middle school students at Durham Charter School. Then on September 25, Hollister, Rucker, Sir Purr and the TopCats visited Cannons Elementary School, Cowpens Elementary School, Pacolet Elementary School, and Clifdale Middle in the Greenville-Spartanburg area.
Students at the schools were surprised with eyeglasses and a confetti-filled music party while wearing their new specs for the first time. The event was a part of The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation's expanded $3.4 million commitment to longtime community partner Vision To Learn.
Vision To Learn operates the most comprehensive and cost-effective school-based program for children's eye care in the country, and the Teppers have long championed the organization's work. To date, DNTF has committed more than $5.2 million to Vision To Learn in the Carolinas.
This latest $3.4 million commitment extends Vision To Learn's reach to Raleigh and Durham as well as Greenville and Spartanburg, building off DNTF's $1.5 million multiyear commitment announced in 2024, which brought Vision To Learn resources to Charlotte-Mecklenburg (NC) and Charleston (SC) school systems. As of August 2026, Vision To Learn – with the help of DNTF – has facilitated more than 165,000 eye screenings, completed more than 56,600 eye exams, and provided more than 50,400 pairs of glasses to students in the Carolinas.
The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation and Vision to Learn continued their glasses giveaways today, this time helping students across Greenville-Spartanburg see a brighter future.
