Vistakon pushes for eye exams with #EyePledge campaign

Johnson & Johnson to donate $1 for each #EyePledge photo October 10th

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sight is one of the most valued of the five senses, but good vision doesn't necessarily indicate good eye health.

That's why VISTAKON, the Jacksonville based division, of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (JJVCI) has launched a worldwide campaign, asking people to "Take the #EyePledge" and promise to get their eyes tested in honor of World Sight Day, October 10.

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The #EyePledge campaign supports a global call-to-action to "Get Your Eyes Tested" by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), coordinator of World Sight Day.

In Jacksonville, VISTAKON will be promoting two simple steps individuals can take to demonstrate their personal commitment to getting eye exams and raise awareness of the broader global cause:

Take an "eye selfie" photo; and Post the photo using the Donate A Photo App by Johnson & Johnson with #EyePledge, or share it on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #EyePledge, and promise to get your eyes tested.

By using the free Donate A Photo App by Johnson & Johnson to upload photos, users can generate contributions to Sight for Kids, a partner program of JJVCI and Lions Clubs International Foundation. For every photo uploaded on behalf of Sight for Kids, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1, up to $30,000*, to help the charity provide eye exams to needy children. The app is available from the App Store or Google Play.

Users without smart phones can also demonstrate their commitment to eye health by posting their eye selfie photos and commenting using #EyePledge on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.

Also in Jacksonville, employees will be out in force, wearing World Sight Day t-shirts and orchestrating multiple activities to honor the event. From Oct. 1-11, company volunteers are reading to third-grade students in Duval County Schools, hoping to teach 10,000 students about the importance of getting their eyes tested.

The company is also donating books about the sense of sight to each school that
participates. 

From Wed.-Fri., Oct. 9-11, VISTAKON is partnering with Vision Is Priceless (VIP) to provide three days of free eye exams for the needy. VIP is currently scheduling appointments for those on their waiting list to receive full eye exams for World Sight Day.

Individuals who are unemployed and/or uninsured may qualify for this or future eye health events through VIP. Note that applicants must attend an initial VIP eye screening to determine medical need and learn about other criteria, including documentation of income and more. For more information about this or other VIP eye health events, call 904-308-2020. 

Throughout October, VISTAKON Employee Resource Groups will be staffing booths at a number of community events, asking residents to take the #EyePledge and get their eyes tested:  

  • Sat., Oct. 19 at Filipino Pride Day, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Jacksonville Landing; and
  • Sat., Oct. 26 at Hispanic Art Walk & Festival, 4-9 p.m., Jacksonville Landing. 

An eye exam is the first step in diagnosis and treatment of eye-related conditions. Approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired

The leading cause of visual impairment is Uncorrected Refractive Error (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism). Approximately 80 percent of visual impairments can be avoided or corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery.

World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment. More than 21 million people in the U.S. age 18 or older report experiencing vision loss, and approximately one in five school-aged American children have a vision problem.

For additional information, visit www.jnjvc.com