Category: News

Building eyecare from the inside out

Grantees: Charis Vision and Health Mission

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

Optometry Giving Sight awarded a grant to Charis Vision and Health Mission, in partnership with Arthur Jarvis University, to strengthen optometry education and expand access to eye care in Akpabuyo, Cross River State, Nigeria. The project equips the University’s optometry clinic with modern diagnostic technology, supports student training through hands-on clinical experience, and brings eye care directly to communities that have had little access to it.

In its first year, the project has moved quickly from setup to impact. Nearly 400 people have been screened across campus, local markets, and community health centres — 77 of whom received free glasses, and 59 of whom were referred for further treatment including cataract and pterygium surgery. Optometry students have been central to every step, conducting screenings and community outreach under the supervision of senior lecturers. On World Glaucoma Week, they visited a busy local market to educate traders and residents on the dangers of a disease that takes sight without warning. On World Optometry Day, three students represented the project in a live radio broadcast reaching audiences across Calabar and beyond.

The clinic is now fully operational, with a dedicated power supply ensuring uninterrupted care. A permanent plaque at the entrance acknowledges OGS as the funding partner — a small detail that speaks to something larger: the beginning of a lasting institution.

By investing in this life-changing work, we are helping to build a future where quality eye care is not a one-time gift, but a lasting, local reality that the community owns and sustains. Your donations make a difference now and into the future.

leading the conversation. expanding the mission.

Fluorescene Group is a leading digital advocacy partner and a catalyst for progress within the eye care industry. As the parent organization behind some of optometry’s most engaged online communities, Fluorescene Group bridges the gap between eye care professionals and leading brands to drive innovation and foster meaningful collaboration.

At the heart of their mission is a commitment to lead the online discourse in eye care with scientific rigor and compassion. Their flagship platform, ODs on Technology, serves as a premier learning and news portal. It functions as the dedicated “tech-forward” sister site to the world-renowned ODs on Facebook group, expanding that community’s reach into deep-dive technical education.

Through the ODs on Technology ecosystem, members gain access to several distinct “innovation zones” tailored to the evolving needs of the profession:

•     Deep Learning: Where experts go deep on the ideas reshaping eye care and health technology, emphasizing that human intelligence remains the driver behind AI.
•     Mic Input: The home of Eye. Talk. Tech., an eye tech education podcast series that brings subject matter experts and real conversations to the intersection of eye care and technology.
•     Early Access: Exclusive previews of tools and platforms—from quantum computing to AGI—tested before they move into the mainstream.
•     Proof of Concept: A dedicated space where innovation is validated through clinical pilots, early adopters, and real-world results.
•     Radar Feed: Real-time future signals and tech trends, from robotic-assisted surgery to the latest FDA frameworks on AI software.
•     Plug & Play <pnp>: Action-oriented, straightforward resources focused on solving real-world clinical problems fast.

Fluorescene Group is powered by Dr. Alan Glazier, an optometric thought leader and an eye care industry expert who believes that technology is fundamentally transforming the profession. Their support of Optometry Giving Sight ensures that as the industry evolves, the global mission to eliminate preventable blindness remains at the forefront of digital innovation.

“At Fluorescene, we bring together real clinical insight, emerging technology, and authentic peer-to-peer conversation,” said CEO Nicole Skibinski. “Our commitment is to elevate the profession while ensuring that progress in technology continues to serve both the clinician and the global mission of improving vision care.”

We extend our sincere thanks to Fluorescene Group for their partnership and shared commitment to clinical excellence, practice growth, and our global mission to provide the gift of sight to those in need.

For the team at Hillsboro Vision Clinic, supporting Optometry Giving Sight isn’t a once-a-year gesture — it’s woven into how they do business. Dr. Drew Perry gives monthly, contributes quarterly through PECAA, and in 2025 was one of OGS’s largest World Sight Day Challenge donors, raising funds through a clinic day dedicated entirely to giving back.

This year, the team hosted a sunglass raffle featuring donated frames from Nike, Longchamp, Zeal, and Ray-Ban — and sweet treats courtesy of one of their own patients. It was a community effort in the truest sense.

Office Manager Krystle Goff put it simply: “If we could reach across the world to help people find hope in regaining sight by providing much needed eye care and glasses, we most certainly would — but OGS is the closest to that we can get, and it’s an honor to be a part of such a wonderful foundation.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Thank you, Dr. Perry, Krystle, and the entire Hillsboro Vision Clinic team for your extraordinary generosity and your big hearts.

Celebrating Henderson Vision Centre as the Second Highest Practice for the 2025 World Sight Day Challenge.

For the team at Henderson Vision Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, supporting Optometry Giving Sight isn’t a new initiative; it’s simply part of who they are. The practice’s connection to OGS predates its current practitioners, rooted in the longstanding commitment of Dr. Scott Mundle, and carried forward with enthusiasm by the colleagues who followed.

That continuity paid off in a big way with Henderson Vision Centre being among the top practices for the past several years. In 2025, they ranked as the #2 highest fundraising practice in all of Canada and the United States for the World Sight Day Challenge — raising a remarkable $10,318.

Dr. Melina Chow, who joined the practice and inherited that giving spirit, puts it simply:

“We’ve been supporting OGS since before I joined the practice. Dr. Scott Mundle was very involved with OGS, and we have continued to support them. The work OGS does goes beyond helping people who live in developing countries; they train people there as well and develop continuity of care within those communities. And it’s so easy to bring it up to patients, for them to see and understand the mission, and ultimately to raise funds for OGS.”

But Dr. Chow is quick to share the credit. “I just really want to shout out my staff — they’re the ones that drive our fundraising and make it all happen!”

With over 40 years of serving the North Winnipeg community, Henderson Vision Centre brings that same dedication to patients near and far. We are deeply grateful to the entire HVC team for their generosity, and for showing what’s possible when a practice decides to bring its whole team along for the mission.

CooperVision, a global leader in manufacturing innovative contact lenses, has been a steadfast champion for Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) since the initiative’s inception. As a global lead sponsor, CooperVision’s multi-faceted support has been instrumental in addressing the needs of the more than 1.1 billion people worldwide who suffer from vision impairment. To date, their collective efforts have generated more than $3 million in contributions for OGS.

Their commitment is felt across the globe through several key initiatives:

• Employee Giving and Matching: Annual company matches of employee donations and fundraising events at CooperVision sites worldwide.
• Patient Engagement: Innovative patient rebate programs and cause-related marketing campaigns that invite consumers to join the mission.
• The Ambassador Program: Each year, select CooperVision employees join an OGS outreach program to see firsthand the impact of their support, such as the 2019 mission to Uganda.

Strengthening the Leadership Bond

In 2026, CooperVision’s Senior Director of Global Professional Affairs Karen Walsh joined the OGS board of directors. With a distinguished career in clinical education and research, Walsh brings a wealth of expertise to the board’s leadership.

“Joining the board of Optometry Giving Sight is a natural extension of my work to support eye care professionals and expand access to care,” says Walsh. “I have long admired OGS for its focus on building permanent infrastructure and training local personnel—creating a world where vision care is a right, not a luxury.”

A Legacy of Support

Beyond financial contributions, CooperVision’s partnership helps fuel OGS programs on six continents that have provided eye care services to millions, trained more than 14,000 eye care personnel, and established over 130 vision centers.

“Our long-standing partnership with Optometry Giving Sight reflects CooperVision’s belief that meaningful change requires sustained commitment,” says Jerry Warner, president of CooperVision. “Together, we’re not just responding to today’s challenges. We’re building the foundation for a future where quality vision care is available to every community, everywhere.”

We extend our deepest gratitude to CooperVision for their extraordinary long-term commitment. We look forward to our ongoing partnership as we work together to provide the gift of sight and eliminate preventable blindness on a global scale.

Dr. Lee Dodge and Visualeyes Optometry.

For more than 15 years, Dr. Lee Dodge has been a dedicated supporter of OGS. A donor since 2010, Dr. Dodge has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to global eye health through consistent contributions, including his current role as a monthly TEAM OGS donor and a quarterly PECAA donor.

Last year marked a significant milestone in his partnership with OGS, with his annual contributions reaching a record high of more than $4,000. His long-standing support, which has also included participation in the World Sight Day Challenge, has directly fueled the establishment of sustainable vision centers and the training of local eye care personnel in underserved regions.

“Our office proudly supports Optometry Giving Sight because it helps bring vision care to communities near and far,” Dr. Dodge says. “Knowing we’re part of the mission to eliminate preventable blindness and vision impairment by providing eye care and eyewear to those in need makes our work even more meaningful.”

We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Dodge and his team for their decade-plus of generosity. It is through the steady support of dedicated professionals like him that we are able to transform lives through the gift of sight.

A Life Helped in Somalia

For two weeks, 28-year-old Ismail Ahmed Adaawe from Mogadishu, Somalia, struggled in silence following a bike accident. He wore dark glasses not for style, but to survive the intense pain of an untreated corneal abrasion. Lacking the means to pay for care, he felt his only option was to wait and hope for the best. “I couldn’t afford the medication,” he explained, “so I just waited.”

No one should have to wait in pain. Ismail finally found the relief he needed through a comprehensive examination and proper treatment—provided at no cost to him, thanks to a project funded in part by Optometry Giving Sight (OGS).

Ismail’s story represents countless others in the Somali community who often suffer in silence. Donations from people like you enabled us to support Aden Adde International University’s Himilo Eye Trust vision center.

The Himilo Eye Trust center exists to ensure that financial limitations never stand between a patient and their vision, providing a place where every individual can be seen, treated, and respected.

Building a Legacy of Care: New Vision Centers in India and Somalia.

Grantees: Mission for Vision and Aden Adde International University.

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

Expanding access to eye care in underserved communities requires more than short-term interventions—it requires a permanent, locally rooted presence. Two of Optometry Giving Sight’s recent grants are funding vision centers in India and Somalia, which demonstrate how establishing sustainable vision centers can transform the health of a community for generations.

India: Mission Jyot

In the rural Fatehpur District of Uttar Pradesh, India, Mission for Vision’s “Mission Jyot” vision center project is building a primary eye care hub where none existed before. In this region, preventable blindness often persists simply because the nearest clinic is too far or too expensive for the average family. In partnership with the trusted Shri Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust hospitals, this new vision center is designed to bring comprehensive screenings and treatments directly to a population that has historically been left behind.

The scale of Mission Jyot is ambitious. Over the next three years, the center expects to screen more than 18,000 people through a combination of facility-based care and mobile outreach camps that travel to remote villages. Beyond standard exams, the project will provide over 1,400 pairs of eyeglasses and facilitate nearly 700 sight-restoring cataract surgeries for those requiring advanced treatment. By prioritizing school screening programs and door-to-door awareness efforts, the initiative is catching vision problems early and shifting the local culture toward proactive eye health.

Somalia: The Himilo Eye Trust

In Mogadishu, the Himilo Eye Trust vision center, led by Aden Adde International University, is a newly launched initiative to provide free, comprehensive eye care services. The grant will be used to establish a fully equipped eye examination center offering free exams, affordable glasses, medications, and cataract surgeries in partnership with Charity Vision Somalia.

The center will also serve as a clinical training site for 50 optometry students, addressing the shortage of skilled eye care professionals and strengthening the future workforce. By combining service delivery with education, the project aims to reduce preventable blindness and improve visual health outcomes for underserved communities. The Himilo Eye Trust vision center is designed to become self-sustaining through the affordable sale of glasses and eye drops, with a goal to cover at least 50 percent of operational costs in the first year. The project is locally led, embedded within Somali institutions, and supported by strong partnerships with the Somali Optometry Association and Charity Vision Somalia.

A Lasting Foundation

While these two projects operate in different environments, they share a common DNA: sustainability. Both function as social enterprises, targeting financial self-sufficiency within a few years by leveraging a cross-subsidy model: modest service fees and eyewear sales to paying customers fund care for those in need.

By investing in these permanent foundations, we are helping to build a future where quality eye care is not a one-time gift, but a lasting, local reality that the community owns and sustains. Your donations make a difference now and into the future.

March 12, 2026 | Articles, News

GOLDEN, Colo. and CALGARY, Alta.—Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), a global organization dedicated to ending preventable blindness, today announced the appointment of Karen Walsh, Senior Director of Global Professional Affairs at CooperVision, to its Board of Directors.

“We are thrilled that Karen is joining the team,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, OGS Board President. “Her deep-rooted commitment to advancing global eye health and her extensive experience in clinical education make her an invaluable asset to our leadership. Having seen her passion for sustainable eye care firsthand through our long-standing partnership with CooperVision, we know she will play a pivotal role in helping us unlock the potential of underserved communities through the gift of sight.”

In her role at CooperVision, Walsh leads the company’s Global Professional Affairs organization, working closely with international teams to support eye care professionals through education and collaboration. Prior to joining CooperVision in 2021, she built a distinguished career as an educator, researcher, and author at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo.

“Joining the board of Optometry Giving Sight is a natural extension of my work to support eye care professionals and expand access to care,” said Walsh. “I have long admired OGS for its focus on building permanent infrastructure and training local personnel—creating a world where vision care is a right, not a luxury. I look forward to working with this esteemed board to continue building a future where everyone has the opportunity to see clearly.”

Walsh 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, Tony Sommer, and Dr. Meng Xu.

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 the sustainable infrastructure needed to expand permanent access, OGS empowers communities to thrive. 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, and established more than 200 vision centers in over 70 countries.

Learn more at givingsight.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Emma Alvarez Gibson
+1 310-721-5177
emma.alvarezgibson@givingsight.org

Infoptic Media, formerly known as Breton Communications, has generously provided complimentary media services to Optometry Giving Sight for more than 15 years. In 2025 alone, Infoptic contributed $33,000 in in-kind support.

Their publications and services include:

• Opti-News – a weekly bilingual newsletter delivering the latest industry news to more than 8,000 Canadian eyecare professionals
• Opti-Guide.com – an online portal featuring industry reports, news, and events
• Opti-Promo – a mass email service enabling optical companies to share their latest news and promotions

In addition, Infoptic’s talented team provides layout and graphic design services, as well as French translations, with particular expertise in user experience, web design and netlinking.

“As a Canadian company, we are proud to support Optometry Giving Sight in their important mission. As with all of our valued partners, we have focused our efforts on spreading awareness about OGS in the Canadian optical industry digital space, making sure OGS’ message reaches Canadian ECPs throughout the whole year. Together, we can make a difference.“ – Ali Rhdifa, Infoptic Media President.

We extend our sincere thanks to Infoptic for their continued in-kind support and look forward to our ongoing partnership as we work together to eliminate preventable vision impairment and blindness throughout the world.