Galway donations for Sightsavers Ireland totalled more than €178,000 in 2009, all of which will go towards helping prevent blindness, restoring sight and advocating for social inclusion and equal rights for people who are blind and visually impaired.
Speaking at the launch of Sightsavers gift of sight campaign, CEO of Sightsavers Ireland, John Fleming expressed his appreciation for the donations received to date particularly given the difficult year for people here at home. “We are very grateful for the support received this year from donors in Galway and we’d like to send out a huge thanks to all our supporters. Christmas is a vital period for Sightsavers as 25 per cent of annual donations are received at this time of year. I’d like to remind people that purchasing a gift from Gift of Sight can save sight and change lives in the developing world.
“Seventy five per cent of all blindness is preventable or curable, I urge people to think about how far their euro could go this Christmas in helping another human being. Just €20 could pay for a cataract operation, allowing someone to see their family again.”
Sightsavers Gift of Sight offers alternative gift ideas for friends and loved ones this Christmas.
Available through www.giftofsight.ie there is a wide range of gifts to suit every budget. Six euro could pay for a life-transforming gift of a trichiasis operation which alleviates pain and scarring of the eye and saves sight. Many people are blind simply because they lack a pair of glasses, for only €12 eye tests can be carried out and six children fitted with classes. For €22 you could protect a whole community against river blindness for an entire year. Since 1950, Sightsavers has restored sight to more than six million people and treated some 200 million more. With continued support from donors, the organisation works to dramatically change people’s lives and empower them to help themselves, their families, and their communities.
For more information visit www.sightsavers.ie
