Student VOSH members are collecting sunglasses for their annual mission to Mexico. Glasses can be new or used, prescription or non-prescription, and men's, women's, or youth. Each year members of the IU School of Optometry VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) group along with faculty and alums journey to the school's eye care clinic in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. There they provide eye and vision care to the indigent population of the area, seeing approximately 3000 patients in less than a week. A chief complaint common among so many of the patients is pterygium--a benign growth found on the cornea that, if allowed to grow, can eventually affect vision. Pterygiums are thought to be caused by chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Populations residing in desert and high elevation regions are especially susceptible to developing the growths. Elevated desert describes precisely the geography of Guanajuato. The only treatment for pterygiums is surgical removal. Long-term prevention is the best solution. By wearing protective eyewear, people can avoid developing the growths on their eyes by keeping exposure to the sun to a minimum. Seeing someone wearing sunglasses in Guanajuato is rare. VOSH's mission is twofold: (1) to collect sunglasses to provide to those who cannot afford the protection and (2) to educate them on the benefits of wearing the sunglasses. Even those who have been treated surgically find the growths recurring because they do not wear the protective eyewear. Cataracts, which are also commonly found among the population, are believed to be due at least in part to UV radiation exposure as well. The VOSH sunglasses drive will be held throughout the fall semester. A box for donated sunglasses can be found in the student lounge on the third floor of the Optometry Building.