Laura Osnes of 'Grease' launches World Sight Day Challenge

Star of Broadway's GREASE, Laura Osnes, wants all optometrists to join Optometry Giving Sight's World Sight Day Challenge to help give sight to the estimated 300 million people who are blind or vision impaired simply because they do not have access to an eye exam and a pair of glasses.

"My father is an optometrist and so I grew up appreciating his role in giving sight – and I know how important good vision is to our quality of life.  It would be difficult, if not impossible, for any of us to learn, read, do our jobs or support our families without our vision," said Laura, who officially launched the World Sight Day Challenge at Vision Expo East on April 11.

The World Sight Day Challenge invites all optometrists to donate their eye exams fees to Optometry Giving Sight on World Sight Day (October 9, 2008) to help fund projects which will provide vision care, local training and infrastructure development in countries that lack basic eye care services. Optometrists can register for the Challenge at www.givingsight.org or by calling 1-888-OGS-GIVE.

"The World Sight Day Challenge is a great opportunity for ODs to remind patients of the need to look after their own vision care – while highlighting the needs of others," said Dr. Vic Connors, Chair of Optometry Giving Sight. "Our experience is that participation in the Challenge creates enormous goodwill in the local community and among staff and patients. It is fun and easy to implement using the materials that have been developed by Optometry Giving Sight."

In 2007, thanks in part to money raised as part of the World Sight Day Challenge, Optometry Giving Sight disbursed more than $1 million to projects in South Africa, East Africa and Sri Lanka – and has committed a further $4 million over the next 2 years.  Their aim is to screen more than 5 million people by the end of 2009 and to ensure that almost 800 new eye care professionals are given training so that they can help provide long term, affordable services in 102 new vision centers & optical workshops.

"Optometry Giving Sight is stepping up with the solution," said Laura. "One of the things that made this charity so appealing to me is that they are funding programs that train local people to do eye exams and prescribe glasses – and to create the other systems necessary to ensure that affordable eye care can be developed and implemented over the long term.   Helping people to help themselves—while giving sight and transforming lives—was something I wanted to show support for."

A highlight of the launch was Laura's performance of "Hopelessly Devoted to You" from the new Broadway production of GREASE, in which she stars as "Sandy Dumbrowski."  Laura won the role after 12 weeks of nationally televised auditions on the NBC talent competition series, "Grease, You're the One That I Want" which aired January through March of 2007.  A clear favorite throughout the program, Laura was named the winner during the live finale episode on March 25, 2007.

Her father, Russ Osnes, a Vision Source optometrist from St. Paul, Minnesota, joined her at the launch. The pair sang, "When the Saints," a song by Sara Groves.

The World Sight Day Challenge launch was kindly sponsored by Marchon Eyewear Inc.

To join the World Sight Day Challenge, go to www.givingsight.org, call 1-888-OGS-GIVE or email usa@givingsight.org

About Optometry Giving Sight
Optometry Giving Sight is a joint initiative of the World Optometry Foundation, the International Centre for Eyecare Education and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. National industry sponsors include CIBA VISION, the Institute for Eye Research, Marchon, Vision Source!, Signet Armorlite, AllAboutVision.com and EyeVis Eye and Vision Research Institute.  Optometry Giving Sight, a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, guarantees that a minimum of 85 cents of every dollar donated by optometrists and their patients is directed to people in need. For more information and to make a donation, please visit www.givingsight.org

About the World Sight Day Challenge
World Sight Day is an initiative of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight and is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO); the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and more than 80 non government organizations with the shared goal of eliminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020, in order to give all people in the world the right to sight.  The theme for 2008 is: Vision for Life.

Optometry Giving Sight's World Sight Day Challenge invites all optometrists to donate their eye exam fees on World Sight Day (October 9, 2008) and / or to sign up to a regular monthly personal or practice donation to Optometry Giving Sight. Last year, Optometrists around the world contributed $250,000 as part of the World Sight Day Challenge.

 

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