Bausch & Lomb, Orbis charity event raises $24,000 to halt blindness

Paris—Bausch & Lomb and Orbis raised an estimated $24,000 at a charitable auction and gala event Friday evening to generate funds for Orbis' efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide. The event, attended by more than 300 delegates, was held prior to the start of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) meeting.

The charity event provided an opportunity for attendees to bid on unique items that either are not available in shops or are priced lower than they would be in stores. All items were donated and included rare wines, a luxury weekend at a 5-star Parisian hotel, and a Caribbean holiday.

The event also celebrated the ongoing relationship between Bausch & Lomb and Orbis, a global charity that provides training to local eye-care specialists in developing countries to prevent and treat avoidable blindness. In an effort to raise additional funds, Bausch & Lomb is offering scaled models of Orbis airplanes (at $20 each) during the ESCRS meeting. Each contribution includes a chance in a drawing for a prize, company officials report.

In addition, for Bausch & Lomb, the gala event was a keystone event in the company's 150th anniversary celebration this year. In celebration of this milestone, Bausch & Lomb has launched a new brand mark. The design, created from intersecting lines, evokes the path of light through the lens of the eye, the company reported.

The brand mark also provides a consistent, universal look and feel to all of Bausch & Lomb's communications materials, including packaging, advertising, and sales materials, as well as its internal communications, recruiting pieces, and news releases.