DENVER — Who doesn't want to be like Von Miller these days? With his numerous accolades, appearances on talk shows, recurring performances on Dancing with the Stars -- and, of course, a Super Bowl 50 victory -- Miller is someone many look up to.
That's part of the reason Miller's pet charity project, his Von's Vision charity foundation, has taken off so rapidly. Miller and his group provide eyewear to Denver-area youth to improve vision, which is something that Miller particularly identifies with, given how glasses improved his schoolwork and how they've become a part of his individual style.
"I see myself in these kids," Miller said. "It's something that's been near and dear to my heart. I've been wearing glasses my entire life, since second grade. I can relate to these kids. When I started my foundation, I wanted something that I can relate to and it took a year and thought about it and here we are now with Von's Vision."
Wednesday was Von's Vision Day Reveal Party, a time for almost 300 children to either receive the glasses for which they were screened previously, or to celebrate their new glasses with Miller. That included more than 200 children of low-income families who received their glasses following Von's Vision Day, which saw Von's Vision partner with national and regional eyewear retailers to provide a city-wide vision day consisting of free screenings and free eye exams and corrective eyewear, if needed.
"This is as big as it's ever been. Every year it's gotten bigger and bigger," Miller said. "This is Von's Vision reveal day. [...] This is a little bit overwhelming.
"Never in a million years did I see it growing to the way it is today. I just had the vision of helping a few kids, one or two kids would have been all right with me. So, for it to have grown to what it is today is truly a blessing."
