Continuing a tradition of raising funds for great causes, Specsavers store partners have raised a combined $127,500 for three charities in a single night, with an audiology fundraising partner joining the beneficiaries for the first time.
During the Awards for Excellence Dinner held at the conclusion of the Specsavers Partnership Seminar on 2 March, Specsavers partners had the opportunity to buy Platinum Prize Draw tickets for a chance to win a wide range of prizes, such as a Jeff Banks men’s suit, including a personal fitting session and dinner with Jeff Banks in Melbourne; two framed cricket shirts and two cricket bats signed by the Australian Men’s Test Cricket Squad; an original piece of Indigenous artwork created by Aboriginal artist Peter Datjing Burarrwanga; and a $2,000 Alex Perry voucher, among others.
Each ticket was valued at $100, with all proceeds divided between three fundraising partners: Vision Australia, Blind Foundation New Zealand and Better Hearing.
Vision Australia is Australia’s largest provider of services for people with blindness and low vision. The organisation’s services are vital in helping the 357,000 Australians who are blind or have low vision obtain an education, secure employment, be included in the activities they enjoy, and live confidently. Vision Australia offers a broad range of services, including in-home assessment and modification, mobility training, adaptive technology recommendations, and assistance with understanding government funding streams.
Blind Foundation New Zealand provides practical and emotional support for tens of thousands of Kiwis who are blind or have low vision, helping them to face the future with confidence and to live their lives without limits. This includes support in living independently, getting around, using technology, continuing to read and communicate, being socially active, and staying in or looking for work. Their services also include cultural support for Māori and Pacific clients and their whanau, family and friends, and deafblind services for people who experience dual sensory loss.
Better Hearing Australia, Specsavers Australia & New Zealand’s pioneer Awards for Excellence Dinner audiology fundraising partner, is an independent organisation that helps with all aspects of hearing loss management and communication. The organisation provides independent advice based on the latest research, with most services available to those with hearing loss at no cost. In addition to conducting screening and testing, Better Hearing Australia provides information about hearing technology and education, with the aim of helping Australians enjoy better communication and quality of life.
Over the course of the evening, Australian optical partners raised $85,300 for Vision Australia, New Zealand optical partners raised $31,100 for Blind Foundation New Zealand, and Australian audiology partners raised $11,100 for Better Hearing Australia – with the combined proceeds totalling a record $127,500.
Specsavers partners raised $125,400 for CanTeen in 2017, $121,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2015, and $100,000 for The Fred Hollows Foundation in 2014.
The donation cheques were presented to representatives of each organisation by Specsavers Australia & New Zealand Managing Director Nigel Parker, with the night’s MCs, high-profile comedy duo Hamish & Andy, joining them on stage.
