Industries for the Blind employees participate in eye donor drive to benefit NC Eye Bank

Press Release

The North Carolina Eye Bank:

WHAT: Blind and low-vision employees at Industries for the Blind-Asheville will register as eye donors with the North Carolina Eye Bank in recognition of March as National Eye Donor Month. The North Carolina Eye Bank supports research to restore sight, and this research gives promise to everyone who is blind or visually impaired. The donor drive also sends an important message within the community that everyone is eligible to become an eye donor even if they have profound vision challenges.

“I am the recipient of three corneal transplants and that is the most amazing gift anyone can give. I really appreciate the eye bank for helping provide corneas and other eye tissue, and so appreciate all the people willing to donate corneas because they change peoples’ lives in ways they can’t imagine,” said Kim West, IFB Asheville Director of First Impressions.

“The North Carolina Eye Bank is committed to helping all North Carolinians with vision challenges, not just those whose sight can be restored through corneal transplants,” said Dean Vavra, Executive Director of The North Carolina Eye Bank. “We are very grateful to the many employees working at Industries for the Blind Asheville for supporting our mission as registered eye donors.”

WHO: Blind and low-vision employees at Industries for the Blind-Asheville will complete the paperwork necessary to become an eye donor. The Executive Director and staff from the North Carolina Eye Bank will be on hand to register the employees and answer questions.

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Thursday, March 20, 2014

WHERE: Industries for the Blind Asheville, 240 Sardis Road, Asheville, NC

MORE: Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB) is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As one of the largest employers of people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem and Asheville in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB also provides outreach through A Brighter Path Foundation, which operates Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and Tracy’s Little Red School House based in Winston-Salem. Learn more at www.wsifb.com.

The North Carolina Eye Bank
The North Carolina Eye Bank is the second largest eye bank in the United States. Founded in 1951, its mission is to recover, process and distribute ocular tissue for the restoration of sight through corneal transplantation and related medical therapy and research. For more information visit www.nceyebank.org 


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About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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