ORBIS Canada Launches Annual Holiday Card Campaign to Treat Needlessly Blind
Children in the Developing World

    



    
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<p><location>TORONTO</location>, <chron>Nov. 11</chron> /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ORBIS <location>Canada</location>, a non-profit global development organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide, is launching a series of holiday cards available for purchase this season.  Proceeds of these cards will be used to build ORBIS Kids Sight treatment centres in the developing world.</p>
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<p>For this year's holiday campaign, ORBIS <location>Canada</location> partnered with a community art school to produce the artwork for the cards.  Young artists from Beware Wet Paint <person>Art School</person> were tasked to express their creativity and feelings about hope and the holiday season through the cards.  Each package contains 10 cards in a variety of artwork designs and will be sold for <money>$20</money>. To purchase a package of cards, please contact the ORBIS <location>Canada</location> office at 1-877-672-4722 or download an order form from <a href="http://www.orbiscanada.ca">www.orbiscanada.ca</a>.</p>
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<p><person>Ms. Helena Ng</person> from Beware Wet Paint School says: "Each year, we hold a holiday themed drawing competition.  Our objective is to allow children to express their creativity and happiness through art.  This year, we decided to partner with ORBIS <location>Canada</location> and use these designs as holiday cards to help raise funds for their meaningful mission.  We hope the public will order these cards and support ORBIS."</p>
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<p>There are approximately 20 million blind and visually impaired children around the world.  Over the next two years, ORBIS is committed to increasing its efforts in providing quality eye care services for blind and visually impaired children around the world. In this vein, ORBIS will utilize its resources to build 100 Kids Sight treatment centres in developing countries, where there is a pressing need for dedicated pediatric eye care services.</p>
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<p>Childhood blindness takes a devastating toll on the economies of developing countries, as blind children are far less likely to attend school, and ultimately join the workforce or contribute to their family's income compared to their sighted peers. Approximately 30% of all global childhood blindness is caused by cataract and the vision of affected children can be restored if properly treated.  Furthermore, the majority of childhood blindness occurs before the age of five and is irreversible if not diagnosed and treated early enough.</p>
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<p>ORBIS is a non-aligned, non-profit global development organization whose mission is to preserve and restore sight by strengthening the capacity of local partners in their efforts to prevent and treat blindness. We draw upon an international faculty of more than 450 volunteer ophthalmologists, nurses, and biomedical engineers, approximately 40 of which are Canadian. Since our programs first launched 27 years ago, ORBIS has benefited blind and visually impaired children and adults in over 87 countries - enhancing the skills of more than 234,000 eye health professionals and providing treatment for more than 9.7 million people.</p>
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<p>For any inquiries or to support the campaign, please contact the ORBIS <location>Canada</location> office at 1-877-672-4722 or visit our website <a href="http://www.orbiscanada.ca">www.orbiscanada.ca</a>.</p>
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For further information: Daniella Bianchi, ORBIS Canada, T: [phone], TF [phone], [email protected] Web Site: http://www.orbiscanada.ca