Acrobatic aerialists and “America’s Got Talent” finalists Tyce Nielsen and Mary Ellen Wolfe-Nielsen, performing as the Duo Transcend, captivated the crowd at Optical Rewind, the 2024 Eye Ball benefit for the Lions World Vision Institute. The organization is the world’s largest eye bank dedicated to ocular research, surgical training and pediatric care. Guests came to party ‘80s-style at Armature Works on Sept. 14, many dressed as icons like Madonna, Prince and Molly Ringwald, enjoying playful touches like Rubik’s Cube centerpieces and Pac-Man macarons for dessert. Off stage and off roller skates, Tyce Nielsen spoke about being born with keratoconus, which caused blindness in his right eye, inspiring supporters to raise $300,000 before the Lucky Penny band lit up the neon dance floor. CEO Jason Woody and Lions World Vision Institute Foundation executive director Sharon Boyes announced an exciting partnership with the University of South Florida Eye Institute to build a new Vision Health Center in Ybor City, “with the ultimate goal of eradicating blindness.”