Uptown Eye Care Donates to Optometry Giving Sight
OGS Transforming Lives

Last month Uptown Eye Care launched a social media campaign, where we pledged to support the mission of Optometry Giving Sight by donating $50 for every 100 “likes” our Facebook page received. The response was overwhelming, as we received hundreds of likes and shares of our page. (like Uptown Eye Care on Facebook (https://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/UptownEyeCareMN))

In total, the campaign generated $750 for to help fund eye exams and glasses for those in need around the world! This is very exciting, as just $5 can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses for a child in need!

Dr. Mary Anne Murphy, Chair of Optometry Giving Sight; Dr. Elaine Happ; Melonie Carlson, CPOA; Clive Miller, CEO at Optometry Giving Sight

At Uptown Eye Care our mission statement says, in part, “Our entire team is dedicated to providing you and your family with superior eye care.” Our desire is that everyone has access to superior eye care. Sadly, in many parts of the world, those in need of vision care have no where to go and no one to provide for their needs.

In an effort to help meet the eye care needs of people around the world we have chosen to support Optometry Giving Sight (http://www NULL.givingsight NULL.org/), an organization dedicated to improving the quality-of-life of people who are needlessly blind or vision impaired. Optometry Giving Sight is the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error – simply the need for an eye exam and a pair of glasses.

Optometry Giving Sight Vision:

Optometry Giving Sight’s vision is a world where avoidable blindness and vision loss due simply to the lack of a pair of eye glasses no longer threaten the quality-of-life and future livelihood of children and

Pamela Capaldi, director of fundraising and development USA; Dr Elaine Happ, owner of Uptown Eye Care; Alyssa Harvey global account executive; Melonie Carlson office manager UEC

adults because there is universal access to quality vision and eye care services for all those in need.

Optometry Giving Sight History:

Optometry Giving Sight was first launched in the UK in 2003, followed by Australia and the Netherlands in 2004, the United States and Canada in 2005, and Italy in 2006. In 2009, Optometry Giving Sight launched in Norway, Singapore and Ireland.

A full 85% of donations go to refractive error programs. Just $5 can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses for a child in need.

Optometry Giving Sight Mission:

Sight is the most treasured of our five senses. We see the world and its myriad of colors and shapes through the windows of our eyes. We learn with them. We laugh with them. We communicate with them. We provide for our families with them. We see our loved ones with them.

Sight can make the difference between a life of poverty and a life of opportunity.

More than 600 million people are blind or vision impaired simply because they cannot get the glasses they need. Optometry Giving Sight funds the solution – an eye exam and a pair of glasses. Delivered through sustainable primary eye care programs, we can give sight to millions in need.

OGS – Transforming Lives:

Ten year old Truong lives in southern Vietnam and was born with congenital cataracts.

Ten year old Truong is one of many to benefit from the opening of a new Refraction Clinic and Optical Workshop, funded by Optometry Giving Sight in conjunction with the International Centre for Eyecare Education, at the Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital in Vietnam. 

Vietnam, like many countries, suffers from a drastic shortage of experienced eye care practitioners. This is particularly the case in rural and mountainous areas (where 70 percent of Vietnam’s populations is based); while many of the optical shops in urban areas are operated by untrained personnel.

Truong is 10 years old and was born with congenital cataracts. He lives in Vinh Long province, which is around 200km from Ho Chi Minh City. Because of his eye problem, Truong has to come to the refraction clinic for vision examination every three months to have his spectacles changed accordingly.

Truong’s father said the Ho Chi Minh Eye Hospital is the best place for eye care, so even though it’s a long and costly journey from their province, he still wants his son to receive treatment there.

“Without glasses, he cannot write letters in a straight line and at class, he can only see big letters on the board,” said his father.
Despite his eye problem, Truong is still one of the best students in his class. He wants to become a doctor when he grows up, ‘because a doctor can help people’ Truong said with a shy smile.

Uptown Eye Care is a member of Vision Source, premier network of independent doctors of optometry with more than 3,000 doctors in over 1,500 practices across the United States and Canada. Vision Source is a Platinum National In-Kind Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight. We are proud to do what we can to support the Optometry Giving Sight (http://www NULL.givingsight NULL.org/) organization by donating $50 for every 100 new likes on our Facebook page (https://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/UptownEyeCareMN).