Glaucoma Australia (GA) has launched a new initiative encouraging Australians to share a photo of “an amazing sight” every day for seven days to raise funds during World Glaucoma Week (6–12 March 2022).
The 7 Sights in 7 Days Challenge, part of GA’s annual ‘Treat your Eyes’ campaign, is asking people to capture everyday moments to remind them sight is precious while raising funds for early detection programs and critical support services.
Individuals and teams will be prompted to find, snap and share seven ‘sights’ during World Glaucoma Week, under daily themes such as ‘quirky’, ‘artistic’ and ‘culture’.
The challenge is designed to encourage people to explore the visual beauty of their local area and raise money for an important cause.
GA CEO Ms Annie Gibbins said anyone could develop glaucoma and the risk increases with age. About one in 10,000 babies are born with glaucoma; by age 40 about one in 200 have glaucoma, rising to one in eight at age 80.
“Sight is incredibly precious and all too often, it’s something people don’t think about until something goes wrong. But Australians have the power to save their sight by getting their eyes tested and raising funds for ground-breaking research, education and support programs,” she said.
“The ‘Treat Your Eyes’ campaign began as an awareness initiative highlighting the importance of getting an eye check to identify the early signs of glaucoma. The inaugural 7 Sights in 7 Days Challenge is amplifying that sight-saving message by asking the community to get creative and fundraise so that we can take glaucoma out of the picture.”
GA ambassador and Australian music legend Kirk Pengilly, part of the band INXS, is supporting the initiative.
He said it’s a potent reminder that sight enables people to do activities they may take for granted, such as going for a run, riding a bike, snapping a photo or seeing loved ones.
“Vision loss is largely preventable through early detection, treatment adherence and by supporting the work of our Australian researchers in the fight against this insidious disease,” Gibbins added.
To find out more about the 7 Sights in 7 Days Challenge and to register, visit: sevensights.org.au.
Last year, more than 400 activities took place across the globe for World Glaucoma Week.
More reading
2021 Glaucoma Australia ‘Quinlivan’ Research Grants applications now open
Glaucoma Australia appoints new president
