Students raise $71K for World Sight Day

Optometry students raised a record $71,720 — a 46 percent gain over 2012 and a significant share of the $850,000 total — for the 2013 World Sight Day, the global philanthropic event’s officials announced this month. Fundraising highlights included more than $12,000 raised by student Micaela Ann Crowley and others at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, who cycled 3,459 miles on stationary bikes and in spinning classes. Eye care companies showed their support as well. CooperVision staff held fundraising events in all of their global offices. Alcon Foundation supported the “Kids Celebration of Sight” program. VSP Global also made an impact by forming the World Sight Day Challenge Coalition, which provided eyecare and eyewear to 4,000 people in need. Optometry Giving Sight recently announced that it had allocated a record $1.8 million to 46 vision and eye care projects in 28 countries. Learn more at Givingsight.org.