Over 23,000 Corporate and individual donors wear ORBIS PINs 
to support the visually impaired on World Sight Day 2011 
  
Some 80% of the world’s 284 million visually impaired people are easily curable but live in developing nations whose overstretched and underfunded medical infrastructures cannot afford to treat them. Shockingly, an estimated 1.4 million sufferers are children who are irreversibly blind for the rest of their lives. To encourage us to take better care of our eyes and raise awareness of the plight facing the needlessly blind, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) have designated the second Thursday each October as World Sight Day (WSD).  
To raise awareness of the problems global blindness causes sufferers in the lead up to this years WSD on Thursday October 13th, ORBIS Hong Kong set this year’s theme as “Illusion x Vision”. The reason for doing so is that the visually impaired “sight” is full of shaky, blurred or doubled images.  To enable everyone to experience just a hint of these difficulties, ORBIS designed its 2011 pins to show a variety of distorted images.  Other highlights of this year’s campaign have included an “Illusion x Vision” themed photographic exhibition where attendees can see distorted pictures replicating the problems blind people face when viewing a world we take for granted. 


For the eighth WSD in a row, ORBIS has also ran a pin campaign. As always the initiative was a great success, receiving an enthusiastic support from over 430 organizations, institutions and schools, altogether over 23,000 individuals. The campaign ultimately raised a phenomenal HK$4,000,000 for needlessly blind people worldwide.  
At today’s ORBIS World Sight Day Award Ceremony 2011 that took place at Hong Kong Arts Center, many supporters turned out to pledge of support the fight for sight by proudly wearing ORBIS pins. Guests of honor at the event included President of Hong Kong Ophthalmology Society, Dr. Nancy Yuen; ORBIS Kids Sight Ambassador, Mr. Chilam Cheung; Hong Kong designer and brand consultant, Alan Chan; Polar Researcher, Dr. Rebecca Lee Lok Sze; and ORBIS Hong Kong Director of Development, Ms. Mary Lau. The day’s highlight came when the VIPs used a pair of scissors to cut away the distorted lines that obscured attendees’ view of a beautiful colored picture. Their gesture was a powerful symbol of ORBIS and its donors’ shared dream of helping the visually impaired to walk from darkness and into a brighter future.


Amazingly, despite its advanced technology and well trained medical professionals, Hong Kong is also experiencing a rise in incidences of blindness. This is especially true among the Territory’s expanding elderly population who are prone to suffer cataracts. The worrying prevalence of myopia among children is another issue. As is the fact that many local people with visual problems tend to overlook and underestimate diseases’ impact and so suffer further deterioration.  “Hongkongers often neglect initial symptoms such as blurred or double vision as they believe it results from inadequate sleep and leave treatment very, very late”, said Ms. Nancy Yuen, President of Hong Kong Ophthalmology Society.


 “ORBIS is doing all it can to help the world’s 39 million blind people to walk out from the dark! We are delighted that our eighth Pin campaign has been such a huge success. Since its launch in mid-June, supporters from all areas of society and walks of life including 430 organizations institutions and schools together over 23,000 individuals have helped us raise over HK$4,000,000 for the needlessly blind.  With the global economy still far from certain and inflation on the increase, we are genuinely overwhelmed by your generosity”, said Ms. Mary Lau, Director of Development of ORBIS Hong Kong.


Act now! Bring light to the Blind! 
From now on till October 13, simply donate HK$100 or over in cash at any Circle K outlet in an MTR station to receive an ORBIS pin in one of four designs and experience the chaotic world of the blind.    Pins available while stock lasts.


“Illusion x Vision” WSD Photographic Exhibition
To further boost awareness of the need to care for our eyes and the world’s needlessly blind in the run up to WSD 2011, ORBIS has mounted this photographic exhibition.  In addition to highlighting its volunteers’ work worldwide since 1982, the exhibition will showcases distinctive “visionary eyes” picture stories from several well-known local opinion formers. Those who have generously donated artworks include Dr. Lee Lok Sze, Alan Chan, Almond Chu, anothermountainman (Stanley Wong) and Tse Chi Tak.  The exhibition runs until October 26th, so don’t miss out! 
Special thanks to MegaBox, Hong Kong International Airport, cityplaza, Hong Kong Arts Centre and The “Star” Ferry Company, Limited for their support.
To learn more about “World Sight Day” and the “Illusion x Vision” A Photography Exhibition for WSD 2011, please visit: www.orbis.org.hk


WSD 2011 Roll of Honour 
Top Five Fundraising Organizations
Champion : Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited 
1st Runner-up : Sunny Creations Ltd
2nd Runner-up : Inland Revenue Department, Sports Association
3rd Runner-up : Nameson Group
4th Runner-up : Dah Chong Hong Holdings Limited
Top Three Organizations with the Most Participants
Champion : Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited
1st Runner-up : Inland Revenue Department, Sports Association
2nd Runner-up : Optical 88 Ltd.

ORBIS HK Communications Department
Ida Leung    Tel：2508 7068 / 9266 2885    E-mail：ida.leung @orbis.org
Olga Wan    Tel: 2508 7087 /6080 4057    E-mail: olga.wan@orbis.org