Mercer Island Boy Scout Smashes Goal In Eyeglasses Drive

MERCER ISLAND, WA — You could say that Daniel Hankes didn't see this coming.

In early June, the Mercer Island High School junior set out to collect about 100 eyeglasses for a project to his Eagle Scout rank. But he ended up collecting close to 1,000 pairs thanks to a huge response from the Mercer Island community.

Hankes and other scouts from Troop 647 fanned out across the island handing out door-hangers at homes asking residents to donate old glasses. They also set up collection boxes at New Seasons Market, Mercer Island Pediatrics, and the Southeast 68th Street QFC. The manger of that store, Larry Horton, is a former scout, and donated dozens of unsold glasses.

That QFC box had to be emptied four times because of all the donations.

The inspiration for the eyeglasses drive came from a friend of the Hankes family who died three years ago and did the same project to earn his Eagle Scout rank.

Hankes delivered the glasses to the Northwest Lions Club Eyeglasses Recycling Center in Olympia over the week of July 4. The glasses will be donated to residents of local homeless shelters and people in developing countries.