SEEING EYE TO EYE PROGRAM AIMS TO GIVE BACK
For the last few years the "Buy One, Give One" craze has been gaining
popularity in the mass market. It has been pioneered successfully with
Tom Shoes and One Laptop per Child. Through Optometry Giving Sight’s Seeing Eye to Eye program, now there's a way for the optometric community to participate. Here's how the Seeing Eye to Eye program works: • The patient comes in for an eye exam and new glasses. • The practice sets a donation of $2-$5 for each eye exam, frame, or glasses purchased. •
The donation funds glasses and sustainable eye care services for young
children and people with limited or no access to eye care.
One
optometrist, Dr. Jeffrey Krohn from Fresno, CA, has been participating
in the Seeing Eye to Eye program since its inception. "After we make our
prescription recommendation, we say: 'For every pair of glasses you
obtain from us, you’re helping someone overseas see better.' It’s not
just us giving money to someone for them, but because of what they did
in our office, they are providing sight to someone else," says Dr.
Krohn, whose donations have provided sight to the equivalent of 2,000
people in need. "If you want to make a difference in the world, you have
to go beyond your community, beyond your patient base. With Optometry
Giving Sight, you don’t have to leave your office to make a difference
in the world, to bring sight to people who don’t have it. As an
optometrist, it’s what we do every day."
For more information or to make a donation, email usa@givingsight.org or call 888-OGS-GIVE.
CARECREDIT CELEBRATES PATIENTS WITH 25TH ANNIVERSARY SWEEPSTAKES
CareCredit is commemorating its 25th anniversary with the 25 Years of Caring Sweepstakes, which celebrates millions of patients who have chosen to use CareCredit as a payment option to get desired care.
The 25 Years of Caring Sweepstakes
will be held April 15 through May 31, 2012. Cardholders will learn
about the opportunity to enter the sweepstakes through mail, email,
online, and other outlets. CareCredit cardholders in good standing will
be automatically entered for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $25,000,
or one of 25 First Prizes of $1,000. Cardholders who choose to use
their CareCredit card during the Sweepstakes at any practice that
accepts the program will receive an additional entry or cardholders can
go online to carecredit.com/25
to play the “Scratch & Match” game for their chance to instantly
win prizes such as gift cards or additional sweepstakes entries.
“Over
the past 25 years, CareCredit has been chosen by more than 20 million
patients. We appreciate them and want to acknowledge how important they
are to us,” said David Fasoli, president, CareCredit. “Every person in
our company realizes we have a single purpose: help make care accessible
to patients. That’s why we decided to celebrate our cardholders with
the 25 Years of Caring Sweepstakes as the highlight of our anniversary.”
FEA ADDS 2 ADDITIONAL DIGITAL LINES TO
SUPPORT FREE FORM GROWTH FEA Industries has
acquired two additional high production, digital surfacing lines to
support the on-going growth of free-form products in its laboratory. The
acquisition of this equipment and technology from Schneider Optical
Machines will allow FEA to more than double its daily production of
digital lenses, while bringing its total number of digital lines to 4.
FEA has had explosive growth in free-form products and is committed to
providing their customers with high quality, fast turnaround and
competitive pricing.
William (Bill) Heffner, owner of
FEA, says, "FEA has been focused on educating our customers
about the benefits of free-form and we are now seeing the demand take
off. Our long term plan is to continue substantial investments in both
manufacturing equipment and software."
Last
year, FEA Industries added a second shift, as well as several free-from
product lines, including their own Eagle progressive lens. "The key to having a successful digital process,"
says Mr. Heffner, "is not only a good design, but also having
state-of-the-art digital surfacing equipment that can process the
designs accurately." With progressive sphere powers ranging
from -20.00 to +15.00, cylinders up to -10.00 and an add range of up to
+4.50, it was necessary for FEA Industries to procure machinery that had
both the range and reliability to produce these
designs.
PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR; PRACTICE OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED BY
OPTOMETRY GIVING SIGHT Optometry Giving Sight has
named Dr. Mario Gutierrez from San Antonio, TX, as its Vision Source
Philanthropist of the Year, and Cole, Krohn and Jensen of Fresno, CA, as
its Vision Source Practice of the Year. The announcement was made at
the Vision Source North American Meeting in Orlando last
month.
(L to R): Dr. Mary
Anne Murphy, Optometry Giving Sight National Chair; Dr. Mario Gutierrez, Vision
Source! Alamo Heights; Sandi Boling, Cole, Krohn and Jensen; and, Clive Miller,
CEO of Optometry Giving Sight.
The criteria for both awards
includes recognizing an individual and practice that demonstrate a
tremendous passion for the elimination of refractive error blindness and
low vision through their own personal giving; practice fundraising and
advocacy among their peers.
“With so many
wonderful supporters it was hard for Optometry Giving Sight to highlight
just two winners,” said the organization’s Chair,
Dr. Mary Anne Murphy. “Dr. Gutierrez is a Chairman’s
Club member, active Ambassador and is currently initiating a hands-on
service delivery program in the San Antonio
area.
“Cole, Krohn and Jensen has achieved
great success in introducing the Seeing Eye to Eye (SETE) Program into
their own practice, and encouraging their colleagues to do likewise. The
SETE ‘buy one-give one’ program generates a large
donation each quarter as the practice donates $5 for every frame
sold”.
NEW ALLABOUTVISION.COM PROMOTION OFFERS
FREE DIRECTORY LISTINGS Without spending a penny,
eye care professionals can raise money for Optometry Giving Sight and
get a free Web directory listing for their practice. For each practice
that links its website to AllAboutVision.com through the end of June,
AllAboutVision.com will donate $35 to Optometry Giving Sight. In
addition, the linking practice will get a free listing in
AllAboutVision.com’s Eye Care Practitioner Directory, used by
thousands of people each month. Practices can get more information about
linking and the $35 donation program by visiting
www.allaboutvision.com/ecp/.
(Left to Right) Kovin Naidoo, OD, Global
Board, Optometry Giving Sight; Alyssa Harvey, Global Account Executive,
Optometry Giving Sight; Dennis Murphy, Executive Vice President, Global
Sales and Marketing Division, CooperVision; Andrew Sedgwick, President,
The Americas, CooperVision; Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon, President, Europe,
Middle East, Africa and Australia, CooperVision; Mary Anne Murphy, OD,
National Committee Chair, Optometry Giving Sight; and, Clive Miller,
CEO, Optometry Giving
Sight.
COOPERVISION INCREASES SUPPORT
FOR OPTOMETRY GIVING SIGHT CooperVision has
increased its partnership commitment to Optometry Giving Sight by
becoming a Platinum Global Sponsor in 2012. CooperVision's two-year
commitment will allow it to build on its Gold Global Sponsorship in
2011. CooperVision customers also made Optometry Giving Sight
their International Charity of Choice.
“This is a
very significant commitment by our company to an organization that we
believe is having a substantial impact on the delivery of sustainable
eye care services in underserved communities throughout the
world,” says John Weber, President of CooperVision, Inc.
“As a global company, we think it makes absolute sense to
actively support a global charity, especially one that is doing so much
to promote and develop optometry as a respected and recognized
profession throughout the
world.”
