Specsavers in Devonport Road took part in this year's annual 'Pay it Forward Day” by giving four people of Tauranga the chance to receive a free pair of glasses.

Today is Pay it Forward Day and is all about good deeds and karma. One person does a good deed for someone and that person in turn does something good for something else.

Optometrist Director Sam Sharples with an example of the voucher and a free pair of glasses.

This year, Specsavers gave away to two of their customers a voucher entailing them to receive a free pair of glasses. The voucher had their name and details printed on it and then they were presented with a blank voucher with the idea to find a random person on the street and gift it to them.

'We decided to get involved in Pay it Forward Day a few years ago and it turned out to be a huge success, generating a positive effect within the local community. Each person we gifted a voucher to was completely deserving of a good deed and in turn passed this on,” says Specsavers Tauranga Retail Director Max Drennan.

This year's participation seems to have generated the same response.

Optometrist Director for Specsavers in Devonport Road Sam Sharples says they received incredibly positive feedback from the public and that the whole point of the vouchers is to create a good feeling within the community and let it spread.

There are no limitations on the vouchers, the recipient can choose whichever pair of glasses they wish, be it designer, reading or sunglasses. The glasses are then made up to the recipient's visual needs.

Sam states that the recipients of this year's vouchers were incredibly grateful for the offer.

The recipients were all chosen at random as Sam stated that the store did not want to seem as if they were playing favourites but stated that they did feel more inclined to give the vouchers away to those whom they thought would benefit the most.

'Some people who have a really old pair of glasses perhaps who are ‘umming' and ‘ahhing' about buying a new pair” were the type of people who would benefit from the vouchers, since the day was all about doing good deeds,” says Sam.

At this point, Sam is unsure of this will become an annual event for the store but stated that the response has been positive from the community and that is what the Pay it Forward initiative is all about.

Glasses can be considered very expensive to some people and now Sam and the Specsavers employees have helped ease the stress of buying a new pair for four lucky Tauranga residents.