The Fred Hollows Foundation is official Charity Partner for City of Sydney’s 2011 Chinese New Year Festival.

CEO Brian Doolan said the event was an opportunity for The Foundation to raise awareness that three out of four people who are blind don’t need to be.

“The late Professor Fred Hollows took eye care to people living all over the world – restoring their sight, independence and dignity,” says Doolan.

“The Foundation is continuing his work in China and 18 other countries and has now helped over one million people - but there is still so much to do.

“I encourage festival-goers to make it their New Year’s resolution to support The Foundation and help bring sight and hope to a million more people living with avoidable blindness.”
The Foundation facilitated 53,118 sight-saving operations, trained 1,075 eye health workers and provided vital medical equipment in China in 2009.

This year, work will be expanded to treat even more people in China and other countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Korea. In major news, The Foundation’s China program manager, Dr Leshan Tan, has also been selected by the Chinese Government to help shape the country’s  blindness prevention policy and planning.

Sydney’s Chinese New Year Festival is the biggest celebration of its kind outside of Asia, and in 2011 welcomes the Year of the Rabbit.

Find out more about our China program

For more information about the 2011 Sydney Chinese New Year Festival, visit: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/cny/ or download the iPhone app (http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/CNY/YourFestival/iphoneintro.asp)