Interest grew quickly. When Christian set up an Instagram account for his finance club, the Centennial Finance Club followed it. At first, Christian thought the club was from a Calgary high school; however, he says they “got to talking and I realized they were in Southern California.” The Centennial Finance Club had registered a non-profit to try and connect high school financial clubs from around the United States. They welcomed the Capital Minds Club into the 15 Club Federation, and Christian invited club members to participate in Invest for Sight.

In all, 55 students from across North America took part. Christian says he embraced the peer-to-peer aspect of fundraising by “really encouraging everyone to get their families and friends to support them.” Sponsors provided $1,000 in prizes for students for various challenges, such as submitting the top investment strategy. Together, the students raised $5,018.  

Fundraising hones leadership skills and contributions to the global community

The experience of setting up a fundraiser helped Christian learn skills and experience he will use throughout his student life. “Fundraising is a good opportunity for students to experience leadership at their young age, and it helps in giving initiative to their passion. You develop skills when you develop a project.”

Christian had to manage the fundraiser, stay on top of grade 12 schoolwork and incorporate activities and sports. “I became way more efficient at managing my time and activities – and it really kept me driven in what I was doing,” he says. “At university, there’s so much more schoolwork and extra-curricular activities. Fundraising is a great thing for young high school students to do.” The initiative will be noted on his application for university finance programs in the United States.

Peer-to-peer fundraiser appreciated

Robyn Wilson, our Manager of Donor Relations, says, “We are thrilled to have worked with Christian over the summer and are deeply grateful for his remarkable talent in both fundraising and building connections. Through his efforts, Christian not only secured financial support to bring people the gift of sight but also inspired and engaged his peers, helping us connect with the next generation of supporters.”

Thank you, Christian and team, for your creative support! Interested in organizing your own peer-to-peer fundraiser? Learn more at operationeyesight.com/fundraise. 

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In 1982, Sharon and her mother travelled to Ghana to meet up with their old friend. During that visit, they were made family members.

“I just always found the people very welcoming,” Sharon says. “I really enjoyed talking with people and learning about their experiences.”

When Sharon heard that we were launching a new campaign to raise funds to screen 23,000 schoolkids in Ghana for eye conditions, her interest was piqued. Beyond her personal connection to the country, Sharon had another reason for taking interest in child eye health – she too has struggled with refractive error since she was in grade school.

“I’ve been wearing eyeglasses since I was nine years old,” she says, “and I studied visual arts during my undergraduate degree. So, vision is a huge thing for me.”

Sharon has generously decided to make a $10,000 contribution towards our Ghana School Eye Health project. She says that as a longtime donor, she has confidence in Operation Eyesight’s approach to community eye health.

“I like the fact that Operation Eyesight contributes to things like cataract surgery and also the delivery of education around good healthcare practices to avoid blindness and eye diseases,” she says, adding, “I also like how it trains locals to go out and educate people in their own communities.”

We are so grateful to Sharon for kicking off our Ghana School Eye Health campaign with her donation. We invite you to join her in transforming young lives!

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Although both are no longer with us, their legacy of giving continues today. When Gwendolen passed in 2020, she left our organization a generous gift in her will. It was a decision she and John, who passed away in 2019, had thoughtfully made together.

Born in Leicester in the United Kingdom in 1931, Gwendolen (or Gwen, to her friends) was known for her lively spirit and love of performing. She and John moved to Canada in 1957, settling in Vancouver where she became a mainstay in the area’s theatre scene, acting, singing and directing for various theatre companies, all while working full time at CIBC and later at the BC Children’s Hospital. One of her favourite roles was dressing up as Mrs. Claus, with John playing Santa, for the kids at Vancouver’s Ronald McDonald House.

“She liked to laugh, she liked to bring joy to people,” says Gwen’s close friend, Jane Marynowski. “And I think this whole thing about her charities that she was so attached to, was she knew she was bringing joy to other people’s lives. That was important to her.”

In her late sixties, Gwen took a trip to India to see some of our projects in person. She travelled with Marilyn Gullison, daughter of Dr. Ben Gullison, whose work in India inspired our founder Art Jenkyns to start Operation Eyesight.

Although she was already a world traveller, the trip had a profound effect on Gwen.

“I think she found travelling in India to be a little different than her usual travels,” says Jane, who heard a lot of stories about that trip from Gwen, even decades later. “I think that really strengthened this attitude of gratefulness that she had. What she saw over there really did have an impact.”

Today, Gwen and John continue to make their own impact on people across the globe with their generous final gift, which will help us prevent blindness and restore sight for years to come. We are grateful to Gwen and John for their thoughtful, loyal support over the years!

Have you ever considered making a donation in your will? Learn more about Legacy Giving.

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“The gift of eyesight is the best thing you can give to anybody. It just changes their whole world,” he says. “You can make donations for food and things like that, but it disappears after two days. Eyesight stays forever.”

The longtime donor first heard about Operation Eyesight as a member of the India Club of Vancouver. The group raised more than $100,000 for our programs over the years through annual walkathons in Stanley Park, with Vijay overseeing the event during his years as club president.

Supporting Operation Eyesight has also been a family affair for the Vermas, with Vijay’s wife, Shiksha, and their three grown children all involved in fundraising activities. Now, a third generation is also making a difference. In the past few years, two of the Verma’s grandchildren raised $575 apiece through online fundraising campaigns.

Thank you, Vijay and family, for your incredible support!

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