EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/978371
by Natalie Zundel ASCRS Foundation Development Director UPDATE 2018 ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting attendees generously give sight Insightful news from the ASCRS Foundation Run for Sight finishers on the race course with the United States Capitol in the background Dr. Ramstead and Ms. Gabianelli, top overall Run for Sight 5k male and female finishers, with the National Archives in the background Participants ran for sight, stepped for sight, and donated for sight A t the 2018 ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting, the ASCRS Foundation asked attendees to add human- itarian eye care to their meeting agenda. Their options were varied and included the Run for Sight, Steps for Sight, and the Give Sight Wall, and they rose to the challenge. At the Give Sight Wall in the Exhibit Hall, the Foundation challenged attendees to donate a combined total of $25,000 to unlock a matching gift from Aerie Pharma- ceuticals (Durham, North Carolina). On the last day of the meeting, their generosity surged to $27,145 in total giving, surpassing Aerie's match. When added to the $25,000 Aerie match, the $52,145 will pro- vide support for programs including the Robert Sinskey Eye Institute in Ethiopia and Operation Sight in the United States. Last year, these pro- grams provided charitable eye care to more than 24,000 needy patients, and this year's generosity will allow the Foundation to do even more. Participants in the inaugural Steps for Sight challenge raised an additional $1,900, which was matched by Johnson & Johnson Vision (Santa Ana, California), providing another $3,800 for the Foundation humanitarian eye care programs. Finally, 393 health conscious at- tendees registered for the 6th annual Run for Sight sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision, raising $12,120 for the Foundation. The runners and walkers enjoyed sunrise views of the United States Capitol, and a flat, fast course that allowed them to traverse historic Pennsylvania Avenue in record times. The top finishers were: • 5k run: Cory Ramstead, MD, in 18:09 (male) and Anna Gabianelli in 19:47 (female) • 1k walk: Bruce Cohen, MD, in 12:46 (male) and Ladan Espan- dar, MD, in 13:21 (female) The Foundation board and staff want to thank all the generous meeting attendees and industry partners who together helped raise more than $68,000 to benefit pro- grams providing charitable eye care around the world. EW Contact information Zundel: nzundel@ascrs.org