Art in el Caminito, Historical Arts District in Buenos Aires

Ricoletta Cemetary in Buenos Aires, where Eva Peron is buried

Downtown Buenos Aires

McDonald's in Buenos Aires, home of the Triple Mac

Mural Art in El Caminito

We had a 12 hour layover in Buenos Aires, so we left the airport in two mini-buses to tour the city. We began in Boca, at the Boca Juniors Futbol Stadium. At a capacity of 60,000, complete with museum, was a very impressive site. We then went to El Caminito, Historical Arts District. This place touted restaurants, art exhibits and vendors, and shops. We spent the next hour enjoying the sights and sounds, taking lots of pictures. We had lunch at a very nice McDonald's and tried a Triple Mac, like a Big Mac, but with an extra layer. Next stop the Obelisk, a very tall monument like the Washington Monument and then to Plaza Mayor, home of the Capitol, La Casa Rosada. Our last stop in Buenos Aires was the cemetary at the very upscale Ricoletta, where the cemetary is an enclosed city of mausoleums. There we hunted for the resting spot of Eva Peron, Argentina's most famous First Lady. After satisfying our photographic needs we headed back to the airport where we would begin our 10 hour flight back to the U.S.

What an incredible two weeks. The memories will last a lifetime, and so will the new friendships we made with each other. Thank you for following this blog and showing your support to OneSight.

yours truly,
Luis Santiago

Just landed in Dallas after an overnight flt from Argentina! Spent yesterday touring Buenos Aires, sightseeing and shopping, took great pics. Thank you for following our blog, will post pics from Buenos Aires and more stories.

Retun to Asuncion

The Capitol Building of Paraguay

Pizza Hut Pizza for lunch

Hand-made straw hats with all the flourish

Traditional Paraguayan Hand-made lace

Bottle Dance performed at Lions Club Celebration Dinner

Clinic Day 8

Outdoor view of clinic

Indoor view of clinic

Military choosing their sunglasses

Military Band playing at the closing ceremony

Conga line

As promised, here is an entry for Clinic Day 8, Thurs 25th. Today was our 8th and last day of clinic. We arrived early, expecting to close early after seeing 1000 recipients. We were amazed by the end of the day to discover that we saw 2061! We began shutting down the clinic, which included packing up the equipment and taking inventory on glasses. Everyone worked diligently and swiftly. Immediately after, the Lions Club of Piribebuy began setting up what would become a fantastic ceremony in our honor. The military band was there, we had dancers and a string band. The dancers performed traditional folk dances, which were really exciting to see. Afterwards we all flooded the dance floor ourselves, culminating in the longest conga line I have ever seen. We were joined by the volunteers, the Lions and some of their family. It was a bonding experience with the people of Piribebuy.

Olga, from our hotel--and Lions Club member--brought Hors d'oeuvres for a closed ceremony--celebrating the local volunteers--where we give them gifts for all their efforts. Traditionally, we give them OneSight T-shirts and pins. In addition, each member of the Clinic Team brings items from their respective home towns. The gifts covered over 4 tables. We had them line up and circle the tables, collecting one item at a time until all the gifts were taken. It was fun and rewarding to watch their excitement.

Yesterday was Clinic Day 8. We were expecting 1000 patients and were scheduled to have a short day. We did have the short day but saw 2061! Following clinic, was a Closing ceremony in our honor. We arrived at the hotel a little later than usual and had another delicious meal. Immediately following dinner was our pinning ceremony. There were lots of heart-felt feelings shared about each other and a few tears shed. Today after we return to the capital and check into our hotel, Porta del Sol, we should be able to thoroughly blog complete with story and photos.

Clinic Day 7

Outdoor view of clinic

Dr Tanaz Mohammedi scoping a patient

Dr Randy Edwards with a patient

Dr Charles Steinberg examinines a patient

2635. What an amazing day! Our biggest day ever. The temperature started at a brisk 40F (5C), rose to 60F for 2 hours and fell back to 40F. It was cold! We gave the gift of sight to over 2600 recipients. Everyone has settled into their niches, whether it be refracting, dispensing, selecting or picking glasses. We manufactured over 150 pairs of 'Chabellas'.

Some of us had some amazing experiences; "I stepped outside of the clinic and a woman who was wearing the glasses she had just received, recognized my OneSight T-shirt and she said, 'I don't speak English very well, but I want to thank you and God blesses you for what you are giving to Paraguay', then she gave me a big hug." David Stotz, SGH, Cincinatti, OH

There were so many recipients that we extended the hours of the clinic so that no one would be turned away; "We soon forgot how cold and tired we were and pulled together as a team." Steve Losey, LC, Buffalo, NY

"Our time together is drawing to a close." (Marsha Russell, Mississauga, Canada) "In two days we will be saying goodbye to our extended family--Team Paraguay, June 2009--the Lions Club member and our many helpful volunteers. The experience we have had working together over the last one and one half weeks has provided us with many memories we will cherish for a lifetime. We have helped change the lives of many Paraguayans for the better and in the process our lives have also been changed. For this I am grateful."

Although we had an exciting day of clinic today, we look forward to tomorrow's clinic and the memories it will bring us.

Clinic Day 6

Dr Jeff Harter with a happy recipient

Lions Club Banner

88yr-old woman smiling after being able to see clearly in a very long time

Dr Jane providing eyecare for an entire family

Luis Santiago with a happy recipient who will be able to read for the first time in years, thanks to two pairs of glasses

"Hi Morgan, Tristan, Ryan and Elizabeth. Having lots of fun, but boy they sure are making me work hard!! What a wonderful gift this mission experience is. Always the opportunity to help others. I tears of joy and sadness, but appreciate the experience, Love Dad." Dr Randy Edwards, LC, Chico, CA

"What an amazing experience! Hard to believe, I feel like I’m world’s away from home, yet the One Sight Team, the Lions Club members, the volunteers, and the patients all make me feel so welcome. I don’t have any single story about specific patients, ALL have been appreciative and deserving. To be able to contribute to so many others is a humbling experience and I’m so honored to be here. Want to say hi to Terri, Jaclyn, Jocelyn & Garrett back home in CA. Looking forward to seeing you soon, I miss you all." Rob Schmidt, LC, Sacramento, CA

1867! We had another very successful day of clinic. It is Tuesday, June 23rd and we can hardly believe we are on our last leg of our journey. We began clinic with a OneSight version of "We will, we will Rock You!" courtesy of Steve Losey. Our Lions Club hosts and volunteers look on with interest every morning to see how we begin our day.

Everyone is experiencing that special moment. Luis had his when he helped 77yr-old Tomasa read for the first time in years. She was fitted with a pair of "Chabella" glasses--special frames which resemble "Harry Potter" glasses and can be fitted with round lenses--that accomodate a wide variety of prescriptions. However, these only addressed her distance, which was a very high plus prescription with an astigmatism correction. By fitting her with a pair of +4.50 readers under her "Chabella's" she was able to see upclose for the first time in many years. She nearly cried with joy and expressed how happy she was that she could once again read, something she missed dearly. She is pictured above.

"I saw a shy little boy on Monday and fitted him with a pair of distance glasses, which caused him to smile really big. On Tuesday morning I saw him peaking out at me from the line of patients and wondered why. In a few moments I saw that he had brought his younger brother for his eye check and I fitted him with glasses also. That afternoon, I saw both of them in my line again, this time with their mother. It was her turn. When I examined her she told me how much the boys loved their new glasses. I felt privileged to have taken care of an entire family." Dr Jane Herman, Sears Optical, Marion, IL

We were able to blog about Sat, Sun & Mon last night, although it took 4hours to do so due to a slow WIFI connection (1MB/S). We are on Clinic Day 7 Wednesday; however, the blog for Day 6 will go up tonight. Today, Wed, we started with a cheer by the Italians, it went "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, One Sight." Our music began with the 70's then went to Electronica by Dave London & Filthy Rich to Hip Hop by Kanye West...very ecclectic. We are expected to see 2000 recipients today. The weather is 40F (5C)...BRRR, everyone is bundled up. At least it isn't raining anymore. More to follow tonight!

Clinic Day 5 cont'd

Approx 1800 patients were seen today Monday, June 22! Even though it rained for the whole day, it did not deter us from our mission, nor did it discourage the Paraguayans from venturing out. Our Team has become a family.

“Every day is a self-realization journey. How different our lives are in the US. When I see the little kids and the innocent looks and how they smile when they receive a small piece of candy or sticker, it makes me wonder. The little things that we take for granted are yes so important to the people here. As much as we are infatuated with technology and material things, they are still embracing their human nature, this is what makes this mission memorable.” Dr Tanaz Mohammadi, LC, Annaheim, CA

“Today we examined this 4 yr-old girl. She was born prematurely and her maculus (the most sensitive part of her vision) did not develop properly. She had some peripheral vision in her right eye but mad eye-jerking movements (nystagmus) to help her see more clearly. She was quite near-sighted, so we gave her some glasses to help. Her smile lit up the room when we put them on her face. She started looking around the large room and said to her mother, ‘Mom, I can see good!’ So you see her hear in this picture, looking to the side to look at the camera. She wasn’t quite sure of the flashing object. It is amazing to see a child’s posture and behavior change instantly when they can see more clearly with glasses.” Dr Karri Buresh, LC, Salt Lake City, UT

“This is my first ever mission trip and I don’t think that I truly realize what a great experience this would be. Not only are we able to provide care to all these people who may have gone without, but in the process I have been able to meet so many outstanding people. I am so amazed at how complete strangers are so quickly able to become like a family in such a short amount of time. I don’t want this experience to end, I truly feel blessed.” Dr. Jeff Harter, St. Louis. MO

Sunday, June 21st, Father's Day.

"It's Father's Day and as a father myself, I spent this rainy, relaxing day, looking at the photos sent to me by my family. Though the weather is a little chilly, it's warming to be reminded of what awaits me back at home. Thanks for the pics. Love you guys." James Shepard, LC, Denver, CO

On Sunday evening, we held our Silent Auction, which was a HUGE success!! We raised over $2500!! We all enjoyed trying to outbid each other and in the end an all expense trip from (your city) to Tampa, Florida, was the highest bid item, $565. The authentic Italian Soccer Jersey was a huge hit as well. We topped the night off with a live auction of the highly sought after OneSight Paraguay Crystal, which David Stotz, AVP SGH, won. It will look great in his office at the CSC.

As promised, here is a recap of our Saturday adventure. Our hosts took us to an Ecological Park, Mbatovi. What we thought would be a leisurely walk in the park turned out to be an action-packed, adrenalined-rush trek through the forest. See for yourself, www.mbatovi.com.py

After being fitted by Alpine-Certified Climbing Gear, complete with an harness, carabiner, rope and helmets, we hiked over 1km. There were 3 rope bridges, a zipline and rapelling involved. All the team members encouraged each other and were able to traverse all the obstacles. Words cannot describe the experiences, so here are some photographs.

"What a great adventure our day off was. I conquered two personal fears: Zipline and Repelling. I would have never been able to do it if it was not for everyone's encouragement and support. What a Great Team!" Glenna Palladino, LC, Middletown, CT

It rained for nearly 24 hours and we lost our WIFI at the hotel. The blog was not updated last night. As soon as we are able to, it will be updated. Yesterday, Clinic Day 5, we saw 1760 recipients!!

Clinic Day 5 It's Monday morning and we are back in Piribebuy for another day of clinic. Melissa Stanridge will be our Mission Manager for the remainder of the week. Over the weekend, our Lions Club Hosts took us to an Ecological Preservation Park, for a day of Hiking, Zip Lining, Cable Bridge Crossing and Rapelling. Pictures and stories from that day will follow. Today it began raining hard, hundreds of Paraguayans ventured out in the rain and are in good spirits. In the morning, these blogs are texted in. More stories and photos will follow tonight!

Clinic Day 4 cont'd

"Heute bin ich an der Reihe einige Worte ueber unsere Mission zu schreiben. Aber geht das nur "eingige Worte" ueber meine Eindruecke zu schreiben? NEIN!Man kann nicht beschreiben was in einem vergeht, wenn man mit dem Bus vor dem Klinikgelaende vorfaehrt und 1000 Menschen klatschen!! Das ist ueberwaltigend! Danke das ich an dieser Erfahrung teihaben darf! Danke fuer viele neue Freunde! Danke OneSight!" Michael Heinz, Mannheim, Deutscheland

"Ciao a tutti! Qui sta andando tutto molto bene, L'esperienza e' bellissima ed e' incredibile quanta gente riusciamo ad aiutare, i loro sorrisi a danno l'energia per affrontare queste giornate di duro lavoro. Un saluto speciale al centro di reciclaggio di Agordo." Sonia Brancher, Agordo, Italia

"Onesight Paraguay Mission has been such an amazing experience for me so far. Everyone here and in our team are so friendly. I was actually overwhelmed the first day of clinic seeing the number of patients waiting, but we diligently worked together & I was amazed how fast we were. I was surprised we saw over a thousand patients in about 4 hours! This is definitely an experience of a lifetime!" Dr Tina Do, Huntington Bch, California

1847! Incredibly enough, today was even smoother than yesterday. We ended up seeing over 1847 recipients today. What an amazing feat! There are so many stories and photos, I wish I could show them all here.

One that stands out is about a 9 month old boy with extreme strabismus, and was very shy. Dr. Karri Burresh was able to successfully use her skills to determine that he was a +5.00 hyperope. We were fortunate enough to have found a pair of glasses a team member brought with them, that were small enough to fit him. This was meant to be. When the glasses were put on him, his small face lit up, possibly seeing things clearly for the first time.

We all wish the weekend to quickly be over so we can continue our clinic on Monday. Thanks to everyone who has been following this blog, words cannot describe feelings that we have each and everyday when we read the messages that have been left. Please continue to do so and share the word to others to sign up and follow.

Clinic Day 4. We took advantage of the sunny morning and took our team picture. Dr Chuck was our photographer, and he used a tripod mounted Canon 30D, very nice. The bus ride from the hotel to the clinic was interesting...the bus, an older Mercedes model, was having clutch issues and the gears were grinding. Luckily, we made it to the clinic after a few miss calls and near stalls. Michael, from Germany, peeks outside and informs us the crowd today is larger than previous ones, "the line is about 200 meters." We're happily anticipating a very good clinic today. The temp is perfect, about a 60F and sunny. We have another Peace Corps volunteer, her name is Tonya and she speaks Guarani, a highly valuable skill, she will be paired up with one of the doctors. Each day team members are assigned a new task or position, for the exception of the doctors. More stories and pjotos to follow tonight!

Clinic Day 3 cont'd

"Today I dispensed a pair of +16.00 glasses to an ederly man who had never worn glasses before. When he put them on, his eyes lit up, he looked around, trembling, not knowing how to express his happiness. He was shaking, I was shaking...it was beautiful!" Behnaz Parhizkari, LC, San Francisco, CA



Today's Clinic went even smoother than yesterday. We ended up seeing 1503 recipients. We appreciated all the help from our local volunteers: Piribebuy Police, Military, Local Highschool students, and Peace Corps. A lot of translating took place, Italian to Spanish to Guarani and back or English to Spanish to Guarani. The recipients came in all ages.


"I believe in creating miracles....today I came across a perfect pair for a little girl who had really high cylinder in both eyes...the catch? The Right Eye prescription was in the left lens and the Left Eye prescription was in the right lens, I gave the glasses to Luis and asked 'What can you do with these?' Luckily, he was able to swith the lenses successfully, Wow, it was meant to be...the lenses were dead on." Steve Losey, LC, Buffalo, NY

"Hola familia y amigos! My Spanish is already improving after just 2 days of clinic. This adventure has been more rewarding than I ever anticipated. Thanks again for your support and eyewear donations!" Dr. Lauren LaPaglia, Pearle Vision, Leominster, MA

"It really makes you think not to take things for granted at home. It's amazing without words and with a completely different language...the compassion and gratefulness shows through. To my two boys at home, remember this: 'You get what you get and you don't throw a fit'" James Shepard, LC, Denver, CO

"I feel very privileged to be part of this experience and making a small impact in the lives of the people here. Hi to my peeps in the Pearle pod and mom & dad, love ya!" Holly Weber, CSC, Cincinatti, OH

The team has come together nicely. In just a few days we have made some solid bonds. Each day bring a new adventure, experience and memories which will last a lifetime. We anxiously await tomorrow!

Clinic Day 3. It's a gorgeous day, 58F, we arrived to the clinic bright & early. Several hundred Paraguayan were already lined up with big smiles when they saw us. Some even clapped and greeted us in their native language, Guarani. David Berumen, our Mission Manager informs us that we will probably see more than 2,000 recipients today, we all cheer. Our Lions Club hosts hooked up an iPod to the PA system and everyone is enjoying music from the 80's. "Bon Dia," or Good Morning is the standard greeting here in Paraguay. The official languages are Guarani & Spanish.

"This is my first mission and I am really enjoying it. I feel like I am really making a difference. It's amazing the number of people we are seeing. Paraguay is beautiful and the people are warm and very grateful. I hope to go on many more missions!" Dr Kristin Person, Delhi, Ontario, Canada

More stories and photos to follow tonight!

Clinic Day 2 cont'd

Getting on the bus after a very succesful Clinic

This pair was recycled at our Luxottica Wholesale Facility in Port Washington, New York by Wendy Li, tracking note by Dawn Yager.

David Stotz, SGH, Cincinatti, dispenses a pair of Prada to a teenager.

Possibly the future face for OneSight.

1087! The day was extremely smooth...you'd think we've all worked together on a mission before. What an amazing feeling, 32 of us Giving the Gift Of Sight to 1087 Paraguayans.

"We all brought glasses with us from our stores, we inventoried these, which were separate from the rest and we came across a perfect match! A man in his 60's needed a +12.00 eyeglasses and our highest in inventory was a +6.00, I remembered setting aside a +12.00 . I quickly grab them and headed out to dispensing. His old pair were brittle and superglued together, they were so badly scratched, they looked frosted. I put on the new glasses on him and his face immediately lit up! I was so excited and he was truly, truly grateful, he gave me a huge hug and a smile. Wow! What a feeling." -Monique Prather, LC, Jacksonville, Florida

Clinic Day 2. We are all set to go, and we are all very excited with the turnout. The Clinic setup is very efficient and we are expecting to see at least 2,000 recipients today. Stories and photos to follow tonight.

Dr Chuck, Holly, Michael, Dr Lauren, Dr Kristen, Dr Jeff, Patty, Milena, Monique, Dr CLint, Rob Hiking. Top.

Paraguayan artisan welcomes us with handcrafts, Papi, DrJane, Patty, Dr Kristen, Rob and Lisa in the background. Bottom.

DAY 1 IN PIRIBEBUY, PARAGUAY

Due to Red Tape, our Clinic has been delayed by one day, which has given us an opportunity to begin bonding and really coming together as a team. The last 5 team members from Europe are arriving today and will be pleased to hear they didn't miss a day of Clinic. Our hotel is in the countryside, it is peaceful and quiet...the scenery is beautiful, no roosters crowing. Some members are hiking, a few of us are going horseback riding. I predict by the end of the day, our team will have come together quite nicely.

"Hi Abbie and Nicholas, Love Mom." Betsy Wood, Cincinnati, Ohio

"Hi Jan, thanks for the messages, keep them coming!" Glenna Palladino, Middletown, Connecticut

"I have already made many lifetime friends." Dr. Jane Herman, Marion, Illinois

"Hi Mom and Dad, Camille, Nadine, Kirk, Kayana and Kristen, this is a beautiful country, and is worth the 24 hours of travel. Love ya!" Marsha Russell, Mississauga, Canada

Thank you to all our friends, co-workers and family for following our blog, continue to leave us comments!

All 21 of us originating from Dallas made it safe&sound, our luggage too! A friendly face was waiting for us, a local Lions Club member, and escorted us to the bus which will take us from the airport in Asuncion, to Piribebuy. Everyone is giddy with anticipation and looking fwd to arriving. The weather is mild, a 70 F.

"Its been planes, trains, and automobiles, but we're almost there!" David Stotz, Cincinnatti

More to come later!

After meeting in Dallas and waiting for our flight to finally depart, delayed twice, we all have had a chance to meet and begin getting to know each other.

"Go Lakers!" - Dr. Tina Do, Orange County

"Enjoying the time meeting new people, can't believe Luis remember Ini Kamoze's 'Hot Steppa'." -Dr. Clinton Tran, San Francisco

"I'm excited, Hi mom&dad!" -Holly Weber, Cincinnatti

"We're ready to go to sleep and wake up in a new country, all is well and we're excited!" -Karri Buresh, Salt Lake City

What is OneSight?

OneSight, a Luxottica Group Foundation, is a family of charitable vision care programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research and education. OneSight combines 20 years of innovation from three former Luxottica charitable programs – Give the Gift of Sight and the Pearle Vision Foundation in North America as well as Community I-Care in Australia – into one, new global foundation. Since 1988, these charitable efforts have provided free vision care and eyewear to more than six million people in need around the
world and have granted millions towards research and education.

“The need for vision care around the world is great,” commented Greg Hare, executive director, OneSight. “More than 250 million adults and children worldwide suffer from poor vision because they do not have access to basic vision care and eyewear. To help give the gift of sight to all those in need, Luxottica Group, one of the world’s largest eyewear manufacturer, designer and distributors, has harnessed its vast ophthalmic global business structure and expertise to give back to communities worldwide, providing free vision care and eyewear to those who can not otherwise afford it.”

Poor vision can dramatically affect a child’s academic performance and future. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Optometric Vision Development in 2002 showed that students receiving vision services had a 50 percent greater improvement rate in reading than those who received no services, an almost 100 percent greater improvement rate in math, and close to 200 percent greater improvement rate in reading comprehension. To help children receive the vision care they need, a large focus of the North American OneSight program are the Regional and Vision Van Clinics set up around the country.

OneSight strives to give the gift of sight through four program areas: Global Eye Care, Regional Eye Care, Community Eye Care and Preventative Eye Care.

Global Eye Care: OneSight conducts Global Eye Care Clinics in developing countries where doctors and trained volunteers provide free eye exams and recycled as well as newly manufactured eyewear to thousands of adults and children.

Regional Eye Care: OneSight volunteers work with local charitable partners to provide free vision care and eyewear to those in need in their home countries through organized Regional and Vision Van Clinics. Currently these programs operate across North America, Australia and China and will be expanding into other countries around the world.

Community Eye Care: Local OneSight volunteers help those in need across North America and Australia in local communities through Retail/in-store and outreach programs.

Preventative Eye Care: The OneSight Research Foundation provides research grants to find better treatments and cures for vision-threatening diseases and disorders. OneSight also invests in developing the next generation of optometric professionals through the Dr. Stanley Pearle (Founder of Pearle Vision) Scholarship Fund.

BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY

Hola,

this is the official blog for the upcoming OneSight Paraguay June 2009 Clinic. On Sun. June 14 a team of over 30 volunteers from the United States, Canada and Europe, will travel to Piribebuy, Paraguay to give the gift of sight! Join us as we embark on this truly wonderful journey. The team members are anxiously counting down the days and making last minute preparations.

For two weeks, thousands of Paraguayans will be given eye exams, eyeglasses and sunglasses, which will help their quality of life and help them see clearly!

Each day there will be an update on this page, highlighting stories from our clinics and experiences in Paraguay. Log on and enjoy!