Local activities / news / events
Temperatures Soar at Annual Golf Day
92 optometrists, representatives from optical suppliers and ophthalmologists from around Victoria took part in the annual OAA Victoria Golf Day on the hottest St Patrick’s Day on record - with players braving temperatures of 39 degrees to enjoy the beautiful Yarra Yarra course. Optometry Giving Sight benefited from the day with $8,000 expected to be raised.
With an impressive hole-in-one, Christian Lister (pictured on left receiving the trophy Peter Lewis) from Tiger Vision, secured 40 points to win the Stableford Competition. Bill Wilkinson from Bill Wilkinson Optical Centre in Bendigo won the straightest drive and Stephen Scully took the prize for the longest drive. The day attracted social golfers through to the more serious players with a number showing their skill by ‘beating the pro’ on hole 15.
MC John Blackman of Hey Hey it’s Saturday fame entertained players over a well-earned dinner. Victorian Optometrist and organiser of the golf day, Peter Lewis, bid successfully on a 32 inch LCD TV generously donated by Hagemeyer Lifestyle Brands and many other players won fabulous prizes in the raffle.
Optometry Giving Sight would like to thank Peter Lewis and David Ludowyk for organising a wonderful day. Thank you to the OAA Victoria, to all the sponsors and of course to all the players who braved the searing heat to play.
Golf Day Sponsors included: Gold – Hoya. Silver – Mod-Style; Hagemeyer Lifestyle Brands; BOC Instruments; Silhouette, Experien Medical Finance; and Servicing Optics. Bronze – Rimoptics; Maui Jim; mivison; Carl Zeiss Vision; Designs for Vision and Optique Line. The drinks cart was kindly sponsored by Cooper Vision.
Photos kindly supplied by Experien.
Optometrists Give Sight at Queensland Vision
Queensland Vision proved to be successful conference yet again for Optometry Giving Sight. Many delegates took the opportunity to find out more about the programs that Optometry Giving Sight funds and to chat about how they could support Optometry’s International Charity of Choice.
We would like to thank all who signed up to a regular donation – your commitment will help change the lives of those in desperate need. CIBA VISION generously matched new each of the $25/month or $300/year donations – effectively doubling the first year’s donation!
Many optometrists expressed their interest in our Product Related Practice Giving Program whereby practices can make a donation linked to a specific item, for example donating $2-$5 for every pair of frames sold. This simple concept is a great way to get your practice involved and to promote your commitment to helping others to your patients. For more information about the Practice Giving Program please contact us.
General Optical kindly donated a pair of Calvin Klein sunglasses for the passport prize and many of the staff of our corporate sponsors spent time learning more about Optometry Giving Sight at the trade display. Brisbane optometrist and Optometry Giving Sight National Committee member, Bob Lees, also spent time talking to delegates at the stand about his experience volunteering in Sri Lanka and why Optometry Giving Sight is his Charity of Choice. The support of Greg Johnson and the Queensland OAA team was invaluable in their promotion of Optometry Giving Sight throughout the conference.
Optometrists Association Australia, Victorian Division’s Annual Golf Day
Optometrists Association Australia, Victorian Division’s Annual Golf Day will take place on Monday 17th March 2008 at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club and is in support of Optometry Giving Sight. The day costs $100 – but is valued at $240.
Click here to download registration form
Click here for more information
Please send registration forms to: David Ludowyk, Victorian OAA, 28 Drummond Street, Carlton ,Vic Tel: 0396542122 Fax: 0396542833
Corporate Support For Charity
Representatives from each of Optometry Giving Sight’s corporate supporters came together in December for the semi annual Corporate Planning Meeting. The day provided an opportunity to gain advice and feedback from some of the industry’s most experienced senior executives as well as three optometrists from the National Committee. The meeting strengthened the commitment of the corporations to work together for the benefit of those who gain access to sustainable eye care services thanks to “optometry” giving sight.
The following corporations took part in the Planning Day: CIBA VISION, the Institute for Eye Research, Essilor, Advanced Medical Optics, Optometrists Association Australia, ProVision, Eyecare Plus and General Optical.
Endorsement of The Contact Lens Society of Australia
The Contact Lens Society of Australia officially endorsed Optometry Giving Sight at the 12th Annual International Contact Lens Congress (ICLC). Sue Sluce, President of the Society said, “We are delighted to endorse Optometry Giving Sight as our International Charity of Choice. The Contact Lens Society of Australia realizes that the only way to eliminate avoidable blindness due to uncorrected refractive error is for Optometry to pull together and have one main focus – and that focus is Optometry Giving Sight“.
New support for 2008
New Gold National Sponsors, Specsavers, raised an impressive $74,000 at the largest single fundraising event in Optometry Giving Sight’s Australian history thanks to attendees, suppliers and Specsavers itself at a weekend conference in December. During the event Madeleine Whiting, Australian Manager said, “Specsavers demonstrated their support for social and community causes this weekend. It is only through one optometrist asking another optometrist to support Optometry Giving Sight that we can raise the funds required to address the need for an eye exam and a pair of glasses for those who live in some of the most desperate circumstances. Tonight we saw that leadership in action and had a tremendous number of new optometrists donate.”
Looking Forward
Optometry Giving Sight looks forward to meeting with supporters at Queensland Vision, 28-30th March. Come and have a chat with Optometry Giving Sight representatives and find out more about the projects that are being supported.
$5 million Allocated to Projects
Speaking at the American Academy of Optometry, the Executive Chairman and CEO of Optometry Giving Sight, Professor Brien Holden, announced that Optometry Giving Sight would disperse its first US$1,000,000 by the end of 2007. The funds will support projects that will give sight to people with refractive error blindness and impaired vision in Africa, Sri Lanka, East Timor and Indigenous Australia.
The funds have been raised by optometrists, their staff and patients in Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe.
“We are on track to raise the next US$4 million in 2008 and 2009, and the Board thought it wise for strategic planning and synergy purposes to allocate funds going forward to complete the current priority projects,” said Professor Holden. > more
World Sight Day in the Media
As hundreds of optometrists around Australia took part in the World Sight Day Challenge many received media coverage on their support. Click on the links to see a selection of the great exposure your colleagues received.
Paul focuses on saving kids’ sight (Gold Coast Bulletin)
There is something special about a child’s smile when they are able to see properly for the first time. Varsity Lakes optometrist Paul Graham > more
Volunteer has clear vision (Daily Telegraph)
When optometrist Jane Kierath flew to Sri Lanka in the wake of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami she had a career-defining moment. > more
Optometrist has his eyes on the world’s children (Northern District Times)
West Ryde optometrists Tom Geroulas (pictured) has responded to a challenge to donate fees from eye exams on Thursday, October 11 to help the 13 million children. > more
Challenge helps save sight (Mandurah Coastal Times)
Peter Bell, a practicing optometrist in Mandurah, will support Australia’s first World Sight Day Challenge. > more
Volunteers tackle millions of sightless, child by child (Hobart Mercury)
There are 13 million children in the world who have gone blind because they do not have access to eye specialists. > more
Volunteer group has far sight for East Timor (Whitehores Leader)
Blackburn North optometrist Sue Strachan has seen the injustice of life in East Timor, where thousands of children are blind simply because they have no access to glasses. > more
Oswald & Brown – Giving Sight (Yorke Pennisula Country Times)
Peter Oswald of Oswald and Brown Optometrists at Kadina, is one of the thousands of Australian optometrists giving their support to “Optometry Giving Sight’s World Sight Day Challenge” initiative. > more
Firms in focus on the Right to Sight (Toowoomba Chronicle)
Another Toowoomba optometrist practice, Somerville & Merrin, has stepped up to the plate to help out on World Sight Day on Thursday. > more
Look at the world in whole different light (Bankstown Canterbury Torch)
As part of the Optometry Giving Sight project, Australian Optometrists have shown their commitment to preventing blindness > more
Optometry for a Cause (Busselton Dunsborough Mail)
Tomorrow is a day for eyes, when many optometrists around the country donate the money they earn from eye-exam fees > more
Give that they see (Cairns Sun)
Bruce Mellick and Kelcey Hala from Bruce Mellick Optometry, Cairns, have responded to a challenge to all Australian optometrists to donate > more
Upcoming Events
Learn more about Optometry Giving Sight at these upcoming conferences and events:
17-19th May
Southern Regional Congress, Melbourne
