Daniel Vettori Joins Fight Against Blindness

MEDIA RELEASE
26 August 2010

Daniel Vettori Joins Fight Against Blindness In The Pacific

Hundreds expected at Samoa’s first Fred Hollows Foundation NZ eye care outreach visit

Samoa’s first eye care outreach clinic by Hollows NZ, working to restore the sight of needlessly blind local people, will take place in October, thanks to a $35,000 donation from Kiwi Specsavers customers.

$10 from every eye test performed at Specsavers on National Eye Care Day on 24 July, and the ensuing week, was donated to the work of The Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand. The money will be used to fund a number of initiatives covering the cost of screening and restoring the eyesight of hundreds of people, the first of which is a week-long outreach visit to Samoa, led by Dr John Szetu.

Newly-capped Specsavers ambassador Daniel Vettori said he is proud to be part of such an important step for eye health in the Pacific.

“Sharp eyesight is vital to my performance as a sportsman so I appreciate how lucky we are in New Zealand to have quality, affordable eye care at our fingertips. It’s a different story for so many people in the Pacific Islands.

“I’m excited to have an opportunity to work with Specsavers to support a great organization like The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ doing such amazing work.

“I was totally shocked when I found out about how many people in the Pacific are needlessly blind. Fred Hollows was a great Kiwi and his pioneering work to reduce the cost of cataract surgery changes people’s lives today. I’m all for his vision.”

The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ Marketing and Fundraising Director, Pam Williams-Jones, said” We work in places where four out of every five people who are blind could see again if only they had access to treatment so we are really grateful to Specsavers for their support. This fantastic contribution from New Zealanders will help us reach many more people across the Pacific region, restoring their sight and their independence. “

Specsavers encourages Kiwis to have their eyes tested at least every two years for a healthy person and yearly for those with pre-disposing factors such as diabetes and glaucoma.

ENDS

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