The optometrists at Mountain View Optometry are on a mission for the month of October: one that raised awareness and funds for the World Sight Day Challenge.
The challenge is the largest annual international fundraising campaign to address avoidable blindness caused by the simple need for an eye exam and appropriate eyewear.
And on World Sight Day — Oct. 17 — the staff at the local optometry practice will be donating their eye exam fees to Optometry Giving Sight, the charity that runs the World Sight Day Challenge initiative.
“This is a charity that has aligned with Mountain View Optometry’s mission statement,” said Dr. Tom Wilk, owner of the local practice. “We identify so clearly with the cause. Access to eye exams and glasses is something we tend to take for granted — but it’s a problem for more than half a billion people worldwide.”
In addition to the eye exam proceeds, Wilk and the staff at Mountain View Optometry will be holding a bake sale and a silent auction. The grand total of donations collected will go to support the eyesight campaign.
In 2012, the practice ranked second in Canada for total amount raised during the World Sight Day campaign. In 2011, Mountain View Optometry topped the list of Canadian participants.
This is the fifth year the practice has participated in the campaign.
“Most people are surprised to learn that just $5 can be enough to help provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses to someone living in an underserved community,” said Wilk. “Everyone can make a difference.”
To participate, head to Mountain View Optometry for an eye exam on Oct. 17 or partake in the silent auction, which will run until the end of October. Donations to the Optometry Giving Sight can be completed at givingsight.org — again before the end of October.
Because of the success of the campaign, the charity has been able to fund 67 projects in 38 countries. This year marks the seventh year for the World Sight Day Challenge.
