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  • Supporting Innovative Programs That Educate and Inspire

    AAO 2018 Orbital Gala attendees Natasha L. Herz, MD, and Rebecca J. Taylor, MD, got groovy at the ’60s-themed party and auction at the Chicago Cultural Center. All proceeds benefit the Academy’s effort to build a physical museum in San Francisco that will celebrate the history of ophthalmology.

    The American Academy of Ophthalmology Foundation is the lifeblood of the Academy and a steward of our mission to protect sight and empower lives. Generous support from our donors, including Academy members, corporations and friends, enables us to implement and maintain innovative resources and services. In 2018, the Foundation raised more than $10 million in support of several key programs. These include the continued innovation and expansion of the ONE Network, growing global outreach programs, providing eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to qualifying seniors through EyeCare America® and announcing a capital campaign to build a permanent Museum of Vision.

    Paving the way for the world’s first cost-free public museum of vision

    Extraordinary gifts from Academy Past President Stanley M. Truhlsen, MD, and Michael F. Marmor, MD, kickstarted the $12 million campaign to build a new Museum of Vision, which will introduce visitors from around the world to the science and history of sight. Located at the Academy’s headquarters in San Francisco, the new museum will be a public home for a rotating selection of ophthalmic artifacts from the Foundation’s 38,000-piece collection — until now, only accessible online or by appointment. The world’s first cost-free public museum and education center dedicated solely to vision is set to open in 2020. Read more about the new Museum of Vision on page 17.

    Orbital Gala: Benefitting the Museum of Vision through giving

    Co-Chairs Ruth D. Williams, MD, Stephen C. Gieser, MD, MPH, Ron W. Pelton, MD, PhD, and Wendy Pelton welcomed more than 350 guests to the 2018 Orbital Gala. The ’60s-themed party and auction was held at the Chicago Cultural Center under the famous Tiffany Dome during AAO 2018. The event generated more than $130,000 for the Museum of Vision campaign. Orbital Gala attendees have raised more than $2 million over the past 15 years in support of the Academy’s programs.

    Uniting with the Knights Templar Eye Foundation for pediatric research

    The Foundation designated a $2 million contribution from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation to a pediatric ophthalmology research fund. The endowment powers a first-of-its-kind online resource offering the latest big-data analytic advancements in pediatric disease and disorders treatment, a peer network specific to the care of pediatric patients and individualized learning driven by the IRIS Registry. The groundbreaking power of the IRIS Registry will enable physicians to improve quality of care in this most vulnerable population. Visit our website to make a donation to the Foundation.