Second Annual Night of Spectacles

Fashion with a Vision ­ Foundation calls on amateur fashion designers to make apparel from recycled eyewear to raise funds for uninsured Georgians. The Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation is collaborating with local universities to award a $1,000 scholarship to the winner of the Fashion with a Vision competition at their, second annual Night of Spectacles, an eyewear fashion event, on April 30th 2009 at the Atlanta Opera Event Center. The event will feature student's artwork from Brenau University, Georgia Southern University and Savannah College of Art and Design, who are currently designing dresses from recycled eyewear. The competition however, is open to any and all who wish to compete. Twelve finalists will be selected in late February to then be judge by local celebrities on the evening of the 30th.

In 2008, the Lighthouse Foundation held a similar competition at its first annual Night of Spectacles and successfully raised $53,000. On the mark of its 60th anniversary, the Lighthouse Foundation hopes to raise $125,000 for vision services for Georgia's uninsured through the event. All dresses will be auctioned off at the event and funds will be donated to the organization's vision services. Sponsors for the event include Genentech, McGee Group, Atlanta Magazine and other local optometric and ophthalmic practices.

The proceeds of the event will be used to provide eye surgeries to uninsured Georgians. In the last two years the Lighthouse has increased the number of Georgians it serves nearly 10 fold. Last year, the Lighthouse served 4,000 people at ten statewide clinic locations through its mobile vision clinic and provided over 300 eye surgeries to meet increasing demand. In addition, to local endeavors, the Lighthouse Foundation's aide extends to developing nations including Mexico, Uganda and China by donating 100,000 pairs of glasses a year to medical mission trips.

As a result of the crippling economy and rising uninsured rate, an increasing number of Georgians need assistance from the Lighthouse Foundation to obtain proper eye care. In 2008, according to the Atlanta Journal constitution, 1.6 million Georgians lacked health insurance, making it nearly impossible to receive annual eye exams and for many imperative eye surgeries.

The Lighthouse Foundation invites you to take part in a unique event that helps provide self sufficiency and educational opportunities for fellow Georgians. Applications to enter the competition can be obtained on the event's website at www.nightofspectacles.org