(Press Release) North America’s largest independent optometric alliance Vision Source, has reached a fundraising milestone in its Million Dollar Campaign benefitting the people of Haiti.
Through the generous donations of member optometrists, patients, employees of Vision Source, and matching funds from Essilor, the 2015 giving campaign total now exceeds $500,000.
Vision Source has set forth the goal of raising $1,000,000 by August of 2016 in order to help underwrite the building of Haiti’s first optometry school, l’Université d’Etat d’Haiti, in a country with a population of 10,000,000 people and only three optometrists.
The Vision Source Million Dollar Campaign will provide a significant part of the funding required to launch a school that will make a difference. Haitians will soon have the ability to receive education that will change the sight of the nation for generations to come.
The diverse network of independent Vision Source optometric practices support in a variety of meaningful ways. Many practices donate monthly, some host fundraising events centered around World Sight Day, and others participate in missionary trips. The fundraising effort will continue throughout the year in order to reach the $1,000,000 goal.
Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of Vision Source commented, “Optometry Giving Sight has been the Vision Source charity of choice for many years. This year, we have mobilized our network to build the school and related vision clinic. Raising $500K even before World Sight Day is an amazing testament to the selfless hearts of our clinicians.”
“The Million Dollar Campaign is proving to be a great way for Vision Source leadership, staff and members to take the World Sight Day Challenge and support the development of the first ever school of Optometry in Haiti,” said Clive Miller, CEO of Optometry Giving Sight. “We are delighted to see all the friendly competition between the regional teams. The team leaders in Kingwood are once again proving to be extraordinarily creative and we are very confident that we will reach the $1 million goal by December 31.”