World Sight Day is promoted by the World Health Organization and is celebrated every second Thursday in October. The goal of the initiative is to raise public awareness of the importance of sight, not only as a fundamental factor in contributing towards quality of life, but also for social emancipation. In today’s world, one person out of every seven still has difficulty accessing quality eye care.
This is the reason that the OneSight Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization that offers less-developed communities around the world an opportunity to access quality eye care and glasses, joins forces with Luxottica every year to spread the culture of looking after eyesight.
In fact, the two organizations are planning a series of initiatives all over the world to mark the occasion. In the United States on 10 October, the very day that World Sight Day is celebrated, the stores of the group will open their doors to help disadvantaged people in their nearest communities – selected together with local non-profit organizations – and provide them with eye tests and glasses.
In particular, together with OneSight, the Pearle Vision chain will be launching the first edition of the ABSee programme to provide eye care for children of school-going age. From Atlanta to Seattle and from Toronto to Puerto Rico, sight tests and eye exams will be carried out aboard a state-of-the-art mobile unit. On the same date, LensCrafters and OneSight will partner with Mind Body Green in a series of events focussed on eye health.
Lastly, until 11 October, American employees of Luxottica will be volunteering at the OneSight clinic in Kansas City, Missouri, and at an eyewear manufacturing facility dedicated to OneSight activities in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In Milan until 18 October, needy persons and children will be able to have their eyes tested free of charge, and if necessary, will receive a pair of glasses to correct their visual defect. There are four associations involved: the “Enzo Jannacci” Shelter House, the non-profit Progetto Arca Foundation, the non-profit CAF Association, and the Martinitt and Stelline Institutes of Milan. The first two will host all the tests and exams in their premises.
