GOLDEN, Colo.—Remember to celebrate World Sight Day this Thursday, Oct. 9 in support of Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) and its annual fundraising campaign known as the World Sight Day Challenge. Now in its 7th year, the World Sight Day Challenge is the largest annual global fundraising campaign to address avoidable blindness caused by uncorrected refractive error—the need for an eye exam and glasses.

In addition to efforts by the Coalition, as reported by VMail, thousands of ECPs, optical retailers and dozens of other optical industry companies and organizations will take part.

The campaign has set a fundraising target of $1 million in 2014 and will once again build on the concept of “strength in numbers,” according to an announcement from Optometry Giving Sight. OGS said, “Participating is easy and can be creative —make a fundraising pledge, or a monthly or annual donation on or before World Sight Day, Oct. 9. Optometry practices and optical companies can also engage patients, customers and employees with fundraising events and via social media throughout the Challenge period. This year, challenge yourself and your staff to improve on last year’s great results and be recognized with our Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze Achievement Awards.”

Optometry Giving Sight suggests the following social media tips. Use the #givingsight hashtag when posting to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Anyone can click the hashtag #givingsight and see all your World Sight Day Challenge posts tagged (depending on Facebook privacy settings). Share posts directly to the Optometry Giving Sight Facebook page by tagging them: https://www.facebook.com/OptometryGivingSight. You may need to like the page before tagging.

Look for more coverage of WSD activities on Vision Monday, A Greater Vision and via VM’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Share your activities via social media and the #givingsight hashtag.