UMSL|Optometry Participates in World Sight Day

WORLD SIGHT DAY

By Kristen Kramlich

Members of the Class of 2016 and 2017

The UMSL optometry students donned World Sight Day t-shirts on October 8, 2014, in support of their profession. World Sight Day is an annual international event to raise awareness for the importance of ocular health. It was first implemented by the Lions Club to be an advocacy and awareness tool. Today, many organizations support it, such as the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, which affiliates with the World Health Organization in their fight for the elimination of preventable blindness around the world. Approximately, 80% of visual impairment is avoidable (i.e. readily treatable and/or preventable), and WHO has initiated a global action plan in hopes of extending visual health care worldwide by the year 2020.

L-R: Past WSD Representative Rachelle Altstadt, SVOSH President, Kristen Kramlich, & Current WSD Rep Allison Schafers

UMSL optometry students became involved specifically by fundraising for Optometry Giving Sight. They are a global fundraising organization that targets the prevention of blindness and treatable impaired vision. Optometry Giving Sight asked all optometry colleges to take part in the World Sight Day Challenge, an annual fundraising campaign. The College of Optometry Student VOSH organization is responsible for getting the challenged started, and member Allison Schafers was elected to head the challenge at this year. She sold World Sight Day t-shirts to students and faculty to raise money. The group will be donating all proceeds to Optometry Giving Sight so that they can continue on in the fight to eradicate preventable blindness.


Member of the Class of 2018

Members of the Class of 2017

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