Kids Can C Eye Testing Day!

For release 7 July 2008

From: The South African Optometric Association
Contact: Candice Francis- Public Relations Officer
Office: 228 Nupen Street, Halfway House, Johannesburg
Phone: 011-805 4517
0824416236
e-mail: pro@saoa.co.za

The South African Optometric Association And Its Partners Will Change The Lives Of 400 Vulnerable And Orphaned Children At Groundbreaking Event.

“The importance of healthy vision and good eyecare can never be underestimated. Testing these children in need assures we are making a difference in their futures.”


The South African Optometric Association and its partners will be hosting a history making event on Friday the 11 July 2008 at Emperors Palace. It will be called the KIDZ CAN C TESING DAY. 400 children in need will be tested and examined during the course of the day. Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Dispensing Opticians and Optometric students will offer their time and expertise to make this exceptional event happen. Spectacles will be dispensed on-site to those that need them.

With the generous help of the Optometric Industry, the Emperors Palace Conference facility will be converted into an oversized optometric practice. Zeiss Vision will ensure state of the art equipment will be present for a seamless testing, examining and dispensing process. Lenses will be sponsored by Transitions. Frames will be sponsored by Stoned Cherrie.

The children were sourced from NELSON MANDELA CHILDRENS FUND, NKOSI’S HAVEN and ABRAHAM KRIEL CHILDRENS HOME. Children will be bussed in from 8:00am and tested in alphabetical order according to home. All participating partners plan to make the day unforgettable. The main holding area will be turned into a games room with mass participation games, Playstations, Movie Theatre(sponsored by Ster-Kinekor), face painters and magicians. Fun and food will be the order of the day, while the children wait their turn to be tested.

Healthy vision can make a huge difference in the educational success of children. All too often poor eyesight is mistaken for learning disabilities. 400 children after the 11 July will not have this problem.