The year was 2011.
Dr. Haines had been passionately conducting his annual cataract-removal missions for the past 21 years, in places all around the world.
Other than the staff of The Eye Center and Oregon iLASIK & Refractive, not many people knew about the philanthropic work of Dr. Haines, save for a few close friends and long-time patients.
Over the years, word eventually grew about his missions and more and more people would ask Dr. Haines how they could contribute to his cause. At some point, the idea hit Dr. Haines that since the community had expressed interest in his cause, that he could put on a fundraiser to generate funding for his next mission.
Since Dr. Haines is an avid guitar player, and often jams with the group Strange Desserts, the idea hit that they could organize and play at a simple fund-raising event. This is how the very first Night For Sight benefit concert was born.
The first Night For Sight started as a private event where only a few people were invited. Since Dr. Haines had been a primary sponsor of The Shedd for many years, it made sense to hold the first Night For Sight at there.
When the first Night For Sight came and went, and even though it was a very small affair, it was such a resounding success that it was clear that Dr. Haines was on to something. The funds generated were also beyond what was expected.
Word also got out about Dr. Haines’ missions and even more people wanted to donate money to the cause. It got to the point that Dr. Haines needed to create a legal entity that could accept these contributions in an ethical and legal manner. He needed to found a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. So, Dr. Haines and his amazing wife, Joy, decided that year to take their work to a whole new level. That was the year they decided to found the Give Me Sight Foundation.
Fast-forward to 2012. The Give Me Sight Foundation was officially founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Since the time of this founding, there have been seven Night For Sight benefit concert events, an award-winning documentary of Dr. Haines’ work, and tens of thousands of dollars in donations generated, all going towards restoring the gift of sight for the world’s cataract-blind.
Now, in 2019, the work continues. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to our cause, please click here. The gift of sight is precious and your help in restoring it will literally improve the quality of countless lives of people you’ll never see.
