What if your practice could be part of a worldwide solution to end uncorrected refractive error—without disrupting your day-to-day operations? That’s the idea behind Team OGS. In this episode of the Defocus Media Podcast, Dr. Darryl Glover welcomes Nikki Earich to discuss how Optometry Giving Sight’s latest initiative enables practices to give meaningfully all year long. Team OGS, short for “Together Eyecare Achieves Miracles,” is designed to integrate charitable giving directly into practice life. From donation boxes to digital invoices and passive partnerships, the platform meets clinics where they are no matter their size or experience level.

Team OGS unites eyecare professionals across the globe who share the mission of ensuring that eyecare is accessible to everyone, everywhere. The initiative provides a wide variety of staff- and patient-facing fundraising activities that can be easily embedded into any practice.

When you sign up, you’ll receive a Team OGS Welcome Kit containing everything needed to get started: scripts for staff, marketing materials, donation box, patient-facing thank-you cards, and more.

As Nikki explained, Optometry Giving Sight focuses on building sustainable infrastructure, not just one-time aid. That means funding optometry schools, vision clinics, and training programs that provide care year-round—led by local providers within underserved communities. Dr. Glover highlighted, “When you help someone see, you don’t just improve their health—you change the trajectory of their life.”

From September 1 through October 31, OGS invites clinics and schools to take part in the annual World Sight Day Challenge. In its 18th year, the campaign is evolving with new features: a social media contest with leaderboard tracking, exclusive World Sight Day t-shirts, prizes for practices and student groups, and a renewed focus on collaborative, grassroots fundraising. It’s an opportunity to align teams around a shared goal: helping end avoidable blindness through sustainable eyecare.

October 7, 2025, in Boston marks the inaugural Brian Holden Founder Award Dinner, honoring the legacy of Optometry Giving Sight’s founder—one of the most influential voices in global eyecare. This special event will recognize Dr. Greg Pearl, California-based optometrist and founder of Healing California, and CooperVision, a longtime partner and major donor contributing nearly $500,000 annually. Held at Artists for Humanity—a nonprofit venue supporting youth arts in Boston—the dinner continues the OGS mission by celebrating those creating meaningful, measurable change.

Team OGS is more than a campaign—it’s a culture of compassion. Whether you’re helping a patient recycle their lenses or adding a donation line to your invoice, your small action can have a global impact. It’s easy to participate. And even easier to make a difference. Nikki summed it up perfectly: “It’s not pie. If you think it is, have more than one slice.”

Sign up today!
Participate in the World Sight Day Challenge
Reserve your spot for the Brian Holden Founder Award Dinner

Together, eyecare achieves miracles.