Category: News

TerraCycle has supported Optometry Giving Sight since 2017 through its collaboration with Bausch + Lomb and the launch of the ONE by ONE Recycling Program. Since the program began, TerraCycle Recycling Rewards totaling the equivalent of $282,000 have been donated to OGS, and TerraCycle has proudly served as an Optometry Giving Sight Gold partner since 2023.

As a global leader in innovative sustainability solutions, TerraCycle develops and operates first-of-their-kind platforms for recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Their mission is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating practical, scalable answers to today’s most complex waste challenges. Through a wide network of multi‑stakeholder programs—engaging Fortune 500 companies, schools, and individuals—TerraCycle makes sustainability accessible to communities everywhere.

The ONE by ONE Program was expanded earlier this year by Bausch + Lomb to include the acceptance of certain used eye care and lens care materials, as well as contact lenses and their packaging. The Program is simple for practices to adopt and delivers a dual benefit: it protects the environment and reassures patients who rely on daily disposable contact lenses or one‑day dry eye drops, but hesitate to use them because of waste concerns.

Practices simply collect a minimum of 10 pounds of accepted waste and then ship it to TerraCycle for proper recycling. For every qualifying shipment of 10 pounds or more, a one dollar donation is made to Optometry Giving Sight.

Participating in the program is one way that practices can also participate in TEAM OGS, a year round practice giving campaign that offers numerous ways to support OGS’s work around the world.

“Through our brand partnership with Bausch + Lomb, TerraCycle has managed to recycle over 100 million units of contact lenses and related product packaging.” Says Eric Ascalon, Global Director of Community Affairs & Strategic Partnerships for TerraCycle. “In addition to the positive sustainability impact, it gives us tremendous gratification that through these efforts, considerable funding has been raised for Optometry Giving Sight and its critical nonprofit mission to provide vision care for all.”

Thank you, TerraCycle, for your ongoing commitment and partnership

Ontario Practice Wins World Sight Day Challenge  Honor

Queensway Optometric Centre in Mississauga, Ontario proudly led the way as the top fundraising optometry practice in North America for the 2025 World Sight Day Challenge, raising an impressive $10,900. Queensway’s support began in 2009 and since then the practice has collectively contributed over $145,000.

This achievement reflects the generosity and efforts of their doctors and staff who came together to support the cause through a range of fundraising events, including:

• Monthly online silent auctions
• Donation boxes displayed year-round
• Inviting patients to donate for free services such as glasses adjustments

Their main celebration day was the centerpiece of their efforts and featured:

• An annual bake sale
• An in-office silent auction
• Doctors donating a full day of eye exam fees to support the cause

“Our team worked hard to reclaim the number one spot as the top fundraising optometry office, and we’re thrilled with the result,” said Queensway’s office manager, Terri Fracassa.

“This year, we also introduced an online fundraiser and shared a QR code in our office and through email communications to make donating as easy as possible for patients and colleagues. The simplicity of the process was well received and allowed even those who couldn’t visit the office in person to support our efforts from afar.”

Queensway would also like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who supported their efforts, including their patients, as well as companies such as Saffilo and WesCan for generously donating a multitude of items. A special thank you goes to Ronor, whose representative personally prepared and packaged dozens of cupcakes for the bake sale.

Thank you, Queensway Optometric Centre—we are deeply grateful for your continued generosity and long-standing support!

Clear Vision, New Confidence

Grantee: African Eye Institute

Each year, donations to Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) enable the organization to fund projects globally that provide immediate eyecare to those in need today, and expand optometry so vision care is available for years to come.

For the students at Umyezo Wama Apile Primary School in rural Grabouw, access to eye care is challenging. The nearest public eye‑health services are hours away, leaving many children with undetected vision problems and limited learning potential.

That changed when the African Eye Institute’s One School at a Time (OSaaT) outreach clinic team arrived. Optometrists provided full exams to 117 children who failed an initial screening, prescribing glasses for 62, many of whom had high, previously unnoticed prescriptions. Teachers said they had long suspected the children were experiencing vision challenges but had no way to help. OSaaT, supported by an OGS grant, delivered the care they needed.

When the team returned to the school to dispense glasses, they saw life changing moments: children reading clearly, recognizing faces, and smiling at a world made much clearer because of their new eyeglasses. One educator said, “OSaaT has brought hope to our children.”

In total, the grant will enable for eye exams, eyeglasses, and follow-up care for 20,000 underserved students in 25 South African schools. Additionally, more than 240 teachers, screeners and optometrists will be trained to identify and treat pediatric vision problems.

Bausch + Lomb has been a platinum partner of Optometry Giving Sight since 2016. The company has been at the forefront of eye health innovation for nearly two centuries, and today its portfolio includes contact lenses, lens care solutions, pharmaceuticals, intraocular lenses, over-the-counter eye care products and supplements, surgical devices, diagnostics and more.

Its mission is simple: helping people see better to live better. Bausch + Lomb continues to evolve with the changing needs of patients and customers, maintaining a strong commitment to innovation and elevating the standard of care in eye health.

Bausch + Lomb supports Optometry Giving Sight through the Bausch Foundation, the Horizon Rewards Program – which allows patients to donate a portion or all their rebate to Optometry Giving Sight – and the ONE by ONE Recycling program. Earlier this year, Bausch + Lomb expanded the ONE by ONE program to accept certain used eye care and lens care materials, in addition to contact lenses and their packaging.

Participating practices collect a minimum of 10 pounds of accepted waste before shipping to TerraCycle for proper recycling. For every qualifying shipment of 10 pounds or more, a $1 per pound donation is made to Optometry Giving Sight.

Through these programs, Bausch + Lomb has contributed nearly $1.2 million to Optometry Giving Sight, helping to positively impact tens of thousands of people worldwide.

“Everyone deserves the chance to see the world clearly,” said Yang Yang, president, Global Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb. “Partnering with Optometry Giving Sight allows us to help make that possible by improving access to eye care and supporting programs that create lasting change in communities around the globe.”

We thank Bausch + Lomb for their ongoing commitment and partnership and look forward to continuing to make a positive impact together in eliminating preventable blindness.

Optical Image of Swift Current, Saskatchewan didn’t just participate in this year’s World Sight Day Challenge (WSDC) –– they rocked! The team rallied their community, raised vital funds for Optometry Giving Sight, and topped it all off by winning our first‑ever WSDC Thumbs‑Up Throwdown social media contest.

Their motivation for joining the Challenge is simple, heartfelt, and powerful:

“Five to twenty-five dollars can help provide an eye exam and glasses to individuals in developing countries where OGS supports vital projects,” said Optical Image’s Dr. Sasha Godenir. “That amount of money doesn’t go a long way here anymore, but to give somebody their sight back is an incredible feat and a life-changing opportunity. Not only can they see, but it may also provide an opportunity to get a job and so many other things. A thousand dollars can buy equipment for an optometry clinic or pay an optometrist for a certain amount of time. Donations go a long way in making a difference.”

By earning the highest number of “likes” on WSDC‑related Facebook and Instagram posts, Optical Image secured the top spot in the Throwdown—and a well‑deserved celebration.

Their prize package includes special‑edition WSDC Champion t‑shirts and awards, a monetary award for an all‑practice celebration, and a few extra surprises to honor their enthusiasm and leadership.

To the entire Optical Image team: thank you for your creativity, your commitment, and your unwavering belief in the power of vision care. Your efforts help change lives, and we’re grateful to celebrate this win with you.

In 2025, Optometry Giving Sight awarded a grant to Vision for the Poor to train 14 optometry technicians as primary care optometrists. These professionals will staff six new vision centers and one eye hospital within a $54 million, self-sustaining national eye care network designed to eliminate treatable blindness for 3.5 million Guatemalans by 2032.

A key strength of this initiative is the empowerment of indigenous optometrists to serve both urban and rural communities. Trainees are recruited from the regions where new facilities will be built, allowing them to communicate in local dialects and understand cultural needs, ensuring care that is both accessible and trusted.

Executive Director Donna Mikulecky recently shared her experience visiting the project.

“It was an honor to witness firsthand how deeply this project is rooted in the communities it serves. The commitment, compassion, and professionalism of the local team reaffirm that sustainable eye care begins with investing in local people. Their dedication is the reason this model works—and why it will continue to change lives for generations.

“This visit reminded me why we exist and why the support of our donors is essential: to create a future where everyone has access to eye care, regardless of ability to pay. It is a privilege to help build that future.”

The project’s sustainability is driven by a locally led, data-based model in which each hospital and vision center becomes financially self-sufficient. Through a proven cross-subsidized system—where patients pay full price, partial price, or nothing based on their means—facilities remain stable while ensuring equitable access.

This ambitious national plan began 30 years ago in Guatemala’s Petén rainforest, when a Vision for the Poor team recognized the need for permanent, high-quality, high-volume eye care that short-term mission trips could not meet.

Vision for the Poor Executive Director Doug Villella, OD, reflects:

“All the ingredients for success were there from the beginning. Dedicated U.S. volunteers worked year-round to support compassionate Guatemalan eye doctors, funded by hundreds of generous donors. In the early years, the Guatemalan team treated 4,000 patients annually. We never imagined it would grow to 300,000 patients a year across four hospitals and 20 vision centers with a staff of 500. It’s been an unfolding miracle.”

The project is carried out by Visualiza, co-founded by Vision for the Poor. Visualiza is Guatemala’s only social service eye care network and employs 100 optometrists who provide high-quality, affordable care to the country’s poorest communities.

“The sun has become my enemy.”

At just 14, Abdiwali shines shoes on the streets of Mogadishu to survive. His mother passed away when he was ten. His father, a farmer, remains in their small hometown.

Abdiwali had been suffering from severe Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), a painful allergic eye condition that made sunlight unbearable. When Abdiwali heard about the newly opened Himilo Eye Trust Center, he walked in—full of hope and pain.

“The sun has become my enemy,” he told the Eye Trust Center team. He had called six relatives to help him reach the center, but could only gather $2 for his care.

But thanks to the generosity of donors, Abdiwali received free treatment through a grant from Optometry Giving Sight. And, today, he sees the world with much less pain—and much more possibility.

His story is just one among thousands that donors like you have helped shape. Generous support from donors has enabled us to fund more than 200 grants in more than 70 countries. Together, we have impacted over 15 million people of all ages.

In addition to meeting the immediate need for free eye exams and eyeglasses, we are building a sustainable future where quality eye care is accessible to all so that the individuals we help today can get the care they need tomorrow and beyond.

As the year draws to a close, we invite you to reflect on the impact your generosity can make in the lives still waiting to be transformed.

Your year-end gift can help us reach more children like Abdiwali, train more eye care professionals, and expand access to vision care where it’s needed most.

Thank you for giving sight, hope, and opportunity.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Donna J. Mikulecky
Executive Director
Optometry Giving Sight

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) announced the appointment of Tony Sommer to its Board of Directors, bringing with him extensive leadership experience in specialty vision care, medical technology, and organizational growth.

“We are delighted to welcome Tony to the team,” says OGS U.S. Board President, Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón.

“He brings more than two decades of leadership in specialty vision care and medical technology to our work, combining commercial acumen with a purpose-driven approach to innovation. He is a wonderful addition to the Board. I look forward to working with Tony in this new role.”

Most recently, Sommer served as General Manager, Americas, for CooperVision and CooperVision Specialty EyeCare, where he led growth across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America—helping advance myopia management and specialty lens adoption among practitioners and patients alike.

Before entering the eye care industry, Sommer served as a U.S. Air Force officer and combat veteran, deploying in support of Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. His time in uniform shaped his leadership philosophy—mission-driven, team-first, and focused on outcomes that matter.

Sommer joins an already distinguished Optometry Giving Sight Board, which includes Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, Dr. Susan Cooper, Dr. Luigi Bilotto, Dr. John Flanagan, Dr. Millicent Knight, Dr. Paul Karpecki, Dr. Susy Yu, Dr. Meng Xu, and Dan McBride.

Optometry Giving Sight raises funds from the optometric community to support programs that end preventable blindness and vision impairment worldwide, by offering immediate eye care and building infrastructure to expand permanent access to vision care. Over the last 20 years, OGS funding has provided basic eye care services to more than 15 million people, assisted in training over 14,000 eye care personnel, established more than 200 vision centers, and served individuals in over 70 countries.

Thanks to the generosity and spirit of optometry professionals, students, and business partners throughout Canada and the United States, the 2025 World Sight Day Challenge became one of Optometry Giving Sight’s (OGS) most impactful yet.

Participants organized fundraisers, rallied their communities, and gave what they could—all in support of expanding access to eye care. Their collective efforts will enable OGS to continue to support projects that provide eye exams and eyeglasses to children and adults who might otherwise go without, restoring hope and opportunity through the gift of sight.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who took part in this year’s Challenge. The passion and commitment shown by the optometry community served as a powerful reminder of why this work matters—and what’s possible when people unite for a cause.

Inspired by this momentum, the organization remains dedicated to its mission: ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can enjoy the good vision they deserve.

National Vision is one of the largest optical retail companies in the United States with over 1,200 stores in 38 states and Puerto Rico.

With a mission of helping people by making quality eye care and eyewear more affordable and accessible, the company operates four retail brands: America’s Best, Eyeglass World, and Vista Opticals inside select Fred Meyer stores and on select military bases, and an e-commerce website DiscountContacts.com, offering a variety of products and services for customers’ eye care needs.

For decades, National Vision and its foundation, 20/20 Quest, have supported Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), reflecting shared goals of advancing the optometry profession and building sustainable vision care systems. As one of the largest employers of optometrists in the U.S., National Vision values the critical role optometry plays in eliminating preventable vision impairment.

“National Vision is committed to supporting organizations that represent our optometrist community. We are proud to partner with Optometry Giving Sight to help make a lasting difference in global vision care. Together, we are addressing one of the most pressing public health challenges and helping to provide better vision to those who need it most,” says Jacqueline Grove, President, 20/20 Quest Foundation.

In February 2025, 20/20 Quest awarded a $25,000 grant to OGS to help expand access to care and strengthen optometry’s global impact.

We thank National Vision and 20/20 Quest for their support.