Participants in Optometry Giving Sight’s 2018 World Sight Day Challenge form a giant “floater.”

GOLDEN, Colo.—Optometry Giving Sight reported that its 2018 World Sight Day Challenge drew widespread support from over 160 companies and over 360 optometry practices around the world. Their collective efforts raised over $970,000, enough to deliver eye exams and glasses to over 190,000 people in need of eyecare, the organization said. “Every World Sight Day Challenge, we’re blown away by the generosity and loyalty of our supporters. We’re thankful for each one: from the large companies generously donating to the small practices passionately fundraising,” said Optometry Giving Sight’s global director of development, Leigh Cleave. “It only takes $5 to provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses to a child or adult in need, so we meant it when we say ‘every little bit counts.’” The World Sight Day Challenge encourages the optometric community to donate and raise funds toward much-needed sustainable eyecare projects overseas. Companies, practices, optometry doctors and students joined together to hold bake sales, auctions, guessing competitions, talent shows, running events and walkathons, getting patients, employees and customers involved. Longstanding Optometry Giving Sight supporter and Global Gold Sponsor CooperVision, had a record-breaking year raising over $260,000 through their remarkable employee fund-raising campaign.Over 40 global CooperVision sites and teams participated with employee contributions up by more than 35 percent year-over-year, supported by a matching commitment from the company. 2018 took CooperVision’s cumulative World Sight Day Challenge donations over the $1 million mark.

This World Sight Day Challenge ad from WestGroupe calls attention to the importance of vision.

“Our record-breaking 2018 World Sight Day Challenge donation represents approximately 52,000 eye exams for people around the world who could otherwise be at risk of a range of vision challenges,” said CooperVision president, Dan McBride. Vision Source, another generous and long-standing partner, celebrated their 12th year participating in the World Sight Day Challenge. Over $220,000 was donated by Vision Source members and doctors, vendors, staff, family members and friends as part of their annual commitment to Optometry Giving Sight. “I never cease to be amazed by the selfless generosity of the Vision Source family; we are proud to partners with Optometry Giving Sight as Vision Source’s international charity of choice,” said Vision Source president and chief executive officer, Jim Greenwood. In Canada, WestGroupe launched social media campaign #WithoutMySight, inspired by their Challenge Champion Hani a former Syrian refugee who is legally blind. The challenging initiative encouraged participants to complete an everyday task blindfolded. The University of Montreal was the highest fund-raising optometry school raising over $7,000 through several events including a silent auction and a 5@10 social night. Bausch + Lomb Australia added an extra dose of sustainability to their support, donating $1 for every kilogram of contact lens waste sent to TerraCycle. The recycling program aims to divert contact lenses and blister packs from landfill, turning plastic components into recycled materials.