When it comes to philanthropy in the optometric space, it’s difficult not to think about Optometry Giving Sight. While this organization works year-round, their fundraising efforts come to a pinnacle during the months of September and October. This is thanks to World Sight Day and the World Sight Day Challenge.

Who Is Optometry Giving Sight?

Founded in 2003, Optometry Giving Sight strives for “a world in which optometry enables universal access to vision care and eye health.” Its mission is to “support sustainable and scalable optometry-led programs that educate eye care providers locally and enable the establishment and delivery of vision care and eye health to all.”

To accomplish this mission, Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) partners with global, national, and local partners. These partners help OGS fulfill initiatives like training local eye care professionals, establishing optometry schools, vision centers, and optical labs, and providing eye exams and low- or no-cost glasses.

What Is World Sight Day?

To draw attention and awareness to the lack of access to basic eye care for over one billion people around the world, World Sight Day was started as an annual observance. The official World Sight Day is the second Thursday in October, which is today, October 10! The intention of this global day of observance is to raise awareness of these issues and, perhaps more importantly, raise funds to solve them.

The Challenge

The World Sight Day Challenge is OGS’s largest annual fundraiser. This event brings the optometric community together to help eliminate uncorrected refractive errors. How? By providing families around the world with the gift of sight through low- or no-cost exams and corrective lenses.

While World Sight Day is a single day, you can donate or register for fundraising throughout the month of October to help underserved communities access basic eye care critical to everyday life.

2024 World Sight Day Challenge

EyePromise® and OGS invite you to join the annual World Sight Day Challenge. This year, the theme is “Giving Together, Seeing Forever.” Together, the optometric community has the power to give the gift of sight to millions of people in need. Whether it’s through time or dollars donated, it’s the collective effort that helps mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, grandparents, and more gain life-changing access to eye care.

Join the cause and help OGS change lives forever! Donate now or start a fundraising campaign!