Five Fivers For Fred - Help Us Do More

Five Fivers For Fred - Help Us Do More

One million patients whose lives were changed forever by a larrikan New Zealand born eye doctor with determination, courage and a refusal to take no for an answer can today celebrate the precious gift of sight.

On February 10 1993, the country mourned the passing of Professor Fred Hollows but his legacy has continued for the past decade and the Fred Hollows Foundation last week reached the significant milestone of performing the one-millionth Fred Hollows intraocular lens surgery in Pakistan.

Fred Hollows set goals that were outrageous and perceived as impossible until he achieved them. His overriding concern was to leave the world a better place - and he did.

The world has changed significantly in the 10 years since Fred died – but his spirit lives on in The Foundation that was set up to “keep Fred’s vision alive”.

"While tomorrow will indeed be a day of reflection and remembrance, if Fred were here, there would be no time for pats on the back and accolades for what has been achieved," said Fred Hollows Foundation NZ Chairman, Brent Impey.

"As all those who knew Fred can appreciate he would still be pushing the boundaries and demanding more of everyone.

"Millions of people in developing countries are still going blind from lack of access to a simple treatment. The Fred Hollows Foundation holds a vision of a world where no one is needlessly blind.”

“”However, we cannot continue our work without support. The New Zealand community embraced Fred and his vision and I guess our message today is that we are still here and working hard to continue what Fred started.”

The Foundation's first public campaign, called “A Fiver for Fred”, was overwhelmingly successful and the cash and goodwill sustained the Foundation in its early years.

In recognition of The Foundation’s international success in reducing the cost of modern cataract surgery to as little as $25 in developing countries - and helping restore the sight of more than a million people - a new campaign for 2003 has been aptly named, “5 Fivers for Fred”.

The Fred Hollows Foundation is working in more than 26 countries internationally.

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