Caleb and Angel show off their new eyewear from Essilor on World Sight Day.
DENVER—Optometry Giving Sight reported that there has been a great response from optometrists, companies and students in support of the World Sight Day Challenge with many practices, companies and 21 schools of optometry continuing their fundraising efforts throughout the month of October.

This is the 11th year of the Challenge, which encourages all members of the vision care community to make a donation or participate in a fundraising event to help fund sustainable eye health projects for people who are needlessly blind or vision impaired. These include support for projects that will help give sight and hope to more than 1 million children as part of the Our Children’s Vision campaign—and this year, in recognition of recent events, projects providing eyecare to people affected by the hurricanes in several regions, Optometry Giving Sight said.

Coalition members include ABB Optical Group, Alcon Foundation, AllAboutVision.com, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, Essilor, EyePromise, FYidoctors, Vision Source, VSP Global and Zeiss Vision.

Another 45 companies took part in the Challenge for a total of 56 industry partners who participated in the Company Challenge, Miller said.

The second annual Twitterchat was a great success with 23 organizations posting information on Twitter and engaging in discussion around the importance of child eye health, according to Miller.

To read highlights, gathered by the Vision Monday staff, from some of the thousands of participants who raised funds and awareness of the need for eyecare and eyewear on World Sight Day, click here.