Dean and his team of 17 runners all pitched in to fundraise. “The key was reaching out to both business and personal connections,” explains Dean. “And you just never know where the donations will come from!”

Case in point: the day after the June 23 run, Dean got a Facebook message from a woman who wanted to chat and make a donation. It wasn’t someone he knew, so he thought it might be a ruse. Nonetheless, they connected by phone and he found out she was the aunt of one of his teammates. After traveling to Africa years before, she understood the need for clean water, but had never found the right organization to support. To Dean’s surprise and delight, she donated $5,000!

“We’re still in shock,” laughs Dean. “That put us over our goal and now we’d really like to get to $20,000.”

He credits their success to his great team and Rivka Lipsey, the director of Communications and Marketing for the Mechanical Contractors Association of British Columbia (MCABC), who was “the heart, soul and backbone. She kept us all in line!”

And the best part of all… Dean and the MCABC team have fundraised enough to drill four wells in Zambia! On behalf of the children, women and men who will have clean water and a brighter future, thank you:

To help Dean and his team reach their $20,000 goal, click here. 

The post Run for “Well”ness smashes fundraising goal appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Brad Diggens, a passionate Operation Eyesight donor, and his daughter Jennifer, who just happens to be one of our talented Philanthropy Officers, were looking for a creative way to raise funds to drill wells in Africa.

What did they come up with? A backpacking trek through the mystical country of Iceland.

It will be a true test of endurance and perseverance. Trekking in the shadows of active volcanoes, with packs that weigh approximately 50 pounds (just under 23 kilograms), with no guide, no cabins, zero comfort, unpredictable weather, gale force winds and legends of man-eating trolls, they are surely in for the adventure of a lifetime!

We sat down with them a couple of weeks ago to learn more about the trip.

OE: So, why Iceland?

Jennifer: Our heritage was calling us! My grandma’s family was from there. We’re so excited!

Brad: That, and we wanted a hike that was difficult and challenging. Most importantly, we wanted something that not many have done, so that we could get people excited about what we’re doing. We were looking at Kilimanjaro or Machu Picchu, but so many others have done those. Plus, we don’t want porters to carry our stuff, which they do on both those treks. If people are going to donate to this cause, we want to be the ones doing the work!

OE: Tell us about your route. How far are you hiking and where?

Jennifer: Well, we’ll start at Landmannalaugar, which is about 180 kilometres east of Reykjavik. From there, we’ll hike to Thórsmörk and finish at Skógar, which is not too far off Iceland’s southern coast. There’s a beautiful waterfall at the end of the trail and we’ll also hike between two volcanoes . One of them is Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that erupted in 2010 and disrupted air travel so badly in Europe!

Brad: The whole route is about 76 kilometres long and will take us about seven days – depending on the weather, of course! If we hit rough weather, it’ll be eight or nine days. At night, we have to stay in designated rest areas… you can’t camp anywhere else on the trail. You just have to go until you get to the next one.

OE: What kind of weather are you anticipating?

Jennifer: It’s temperate. The average high is 13°C, which is pretty good for hiking. It can be pretty windy, so we’re hoping that our tent can hold up! It’s a lightweight, three-season backpacking tent and our sleeping bags are good to – 8°C, so we should be comfortable.

OE: What are you doing to prepare?

Brad: My youngest daughter Samantha and I hiked the West Coast Trail in British Columbia last year. Jennifer and I did an overnight hike to test out our gear on the May long weekend, and we’re planning a three-day hike in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in BC at the end of June. We have to make sure that we’ll still love each other after three days!

OE: And last, but not least, why Operation Eyesight?

Brad: Well, in the more than two decades my company MJS Mechanical has been in business, we’ve seen the value of water. And when Jennifer started working at Operation Eyesight, we really learned the difference clean water can make. Clean water not only helps get rid of the terribly painful disease of trachoma, but it saves countless lives and provide thousands of people with hope for a brighter future. What more can I say?!

To support Brad and Jennifer’s Hike for Life, visit their fundraising page at http://operationeyesight.akaraisin.com/youchoose/hikeforlife. And stay tuned for an update after their three-day hike in June!

The post Don’t let the trolls get you! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Today is International Women’s Day and we’re talking water. Why? In areas where water is scarce, it is usually women and girls who are responsible for fetching water. This often involves walking several kilometres each day with the very present danger of being attacked by wild animals. And for girls, it means they either miss a lot of school or aren’t enrolled at all.

Thankfully, we have amazing donors who are committed to changing this situation.

Dean Loewen and his team have created their own Race for a Reason – the Run for “Well”ness for which they’ll complete the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon or 5K race on June 23. Their goal is to raise $15,000 for our Zambia well projects!

Dean, who serves as president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of British Columbia (MCABC), was inspired to put together the team by an old friend Brad Diggens. Brad, chairman of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC), made Operation Eyesight the MCAC’s charity of choice for the duration of his term. They focus their support for the Zambia wells program.

“When I first heard about the partnership with Operation Eyesight, I didn’t see the connection between eyes and wells,” explains Dean. “As I sat back and listened, I began to understand how wells tie into cleanliness and eyesight. Then Brad announced last year that he and his daughter were hiking the West Coast Trail for Operation Eyesight.”

Dean continues, “I loved what Brad was doing by tying his charity work into his health, fitness and family. I got into health and fitness about four years ago, thanks to my wife Rita. Now, I run and work out regularly. So I thought ‘what a dream to be able to do something with my daughter and wife!’”

Dean, being the go-getting type, made it happen. And it wasn’t enough to do it himself… he challenged members of MCABC to join him for their Race for a Reason. To date, 13 have taken up the challenge, including his wife and daughter Jenelle! They’ll also be promoting the race at MCABC’s upcoming chapter meetings, provincial conference and golf tournament. And Dean has extended the invitation to anyone who’d like to join them: “Everyone is welcome!”

On behalf of the women and communities in Zambia who will benefit from their incredible spirit and dedication, we say a huge “thank you!” to Dean and his MCABC team.

Stay tuned for updates about Dean and his team’s progress.  

The post Women, water and the Run for “Well”ness appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Joan Taylor and Gerry Wright of Campbell River, B.C. had no idea what awaited them when Joan opened the Winter 2013 edition of our SightLines newsletter. On the back page was the opportunity to check off a huge bucket list item – walking the El Camino de Santiago in Spain.

“Here were two things I love dearly: Operation Eyesight and the El Camino. I thought, ‘we have to do this.’” explains Joan. “Timing wise it wasn’t all that great because it was less than two weeks after we get back from another holiday, but sometimes in life you just have to do it!”

Joan has been an Operation Eyesight supporter for about 11 years, and has a very personal connection to our mission. Her mother suffered from vision loss due to macular degeneration, so she knows how difficult it can be to manage without vision. Not only that, Joan manages a long-term care facility and works with people who struggle every day because they have lost their eyesight.

“My mom and I were extremely close,” explains Joan. “When she turned 80, my siblings and I decided to give five people the gift of sight from Operation Eyesight in mom’s honour.”

Joan continues: “She was so touched that she cried every time she told somebody about the gifts. She couldn’t get over how you could change someone’s life for such a small amount of money. I was hooked on Operation Eyesight after that.”

As for the El Camino Race for a Reason, it was a perfect solution for Joan and Gerry. They had been hoping to do it – especially after seeing Martin Sheen’s movie “The Way” – but the 30 to 45 days it takes to do the entire trail was daunting. Our 10-day trek was the answer!

To prepare, Joan and Gerry train every day. “It’s not easy! When you’re done work at 5 p.m. and it’s blowing and howling and pouring freezing rain, training is a challenge. But, so what?” laughs Joan. “It’s a great cause and we’re really happy to do it.”

They’ve also tapped their networks to raise the donation portion of the trip. And it’s paid off – they’ve already surpassed their fundraising goal more than two months before the deadline! Joan explains, “Nothing like working under pressure! It’s really touching to see the people who have stepped forward to support. I can’t tell you how deeply touched we are.”

Joan and Gerry’s El Camino adventure has just begun, so check back for updates. And they aren’t the only Operation Eyesight supporters getting ready for a Race for a Reason. Stay tuned for more inspirational stories of adventure and camaraderie in the coming weeks!

The post Adventure awaits on the El Camino journey appeared first on Operation Eyesight.