Prevent Blindness America Invites Consumers to 'See America' Through Nationwi...( Contest Seeks to Educate Public Abo...),Health

Contest Seeks to Educate Public About the Importance of Regular Eye Care

CHICAGO, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Prevent Blindness America today announced the nationwide launch of its "See America" contest, an effort to educate Americans about the importance of preventive eye exams to promote overall vision health. The national non-profit group dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight will award the grand prize winner with the opportunity to "See America" with four complimentary plane tickets to any United States destination of their choice, provided by Orbitz.com, a leader in online travel. The first runner-up will receive two complimentary plane tickets.

The "See America" contest is open to all those affected by impaired vision or vision loss who feel as though they have "missed" important moments in their lives. From April 14 through July 31, entrants are asked to submit stories about a time in their life that they have had to sacrifice due to poor eye health. A secondary component of the contest submission is to include a destination within the United States that entrants want to visit if they win and why that destination is so important to them. Families of the visually impaired are also invited to submit nominations.

"Through this contest, we are hoping to remind consumers of what they could be missing without their vision," said Mildred M.G. Olivier, M.D., chief executive officer of the Midwest Glaucoma Center. "Regular eye care is a great way to protect our quality of life."

Research shows that diabetic retinopathy affects more than 4.4 million Americans, with cataracts affecting more than 22 million Americans. Eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration affect 2.2 million and 2 million respectively. Further, a 2007 study conducted by Prevent Blindness America showed the estimated costs associated with adult vision problems in the United States to be $51.4 billion. Fortunately, half of all cases of blindnes
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