Over 100 adults and children celebrated the joy of giving at the laughter-filled ORBIS ‘Kids Sight Friends Christmas Gathering’ at the Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong on December 13, 2009.

The day started with a warm-up game in which donors were asked to close their eyes to experience the fear of darkness. ORBIS volunteer ophthalmologist, Dr. Timothy Lai, then recounted his unforgettable memories of his first-ever Flying Eye Hospital sight-saving mission in India in September 2009. Being a passionate photographer, Dr. Lai presented photos taken during his eye-opening journey. He also talked about Macular Degeneration and ORBIS’ Cyber-Sight, a telemedicine program. Everyone was absorbed in his interesting and informative sharing.

Many ORBIS donors have recently put innovative fundraising ideas into action. Two families shared their experiences of holding fundraising birthday parties for their kids. They encouraged friends and relatives to donate to ORBIS in lieu of gifts. The two little donors are proud of having such a meaningful party to share their good fortune with the preventably blind. The highlight of the event was a magic show presented by our volunteer magician. Everyone got excited by his fantastic performance which was ended with a burst of applause.

To express our gratitude to Kids Sight Friends monthly donors for their continuous support, the event was ended with a presentation of ‘Certificates of Recognition’. The youngest monthly donor receiving the recognition was a two-year-old girl. She acted as a little role model of caring the needy.

Last but not least, many joined our monthly donation program on the spot or shopped our charity sales booth for Christmas gifts. Their support surely made the festive season more meaningful for preventably blind kids.