Visually Impaired Marathon Runner and Guinness World Record Holder Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight

Visually Impaired Marathon Runner and Guinness World Record Holder

Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight

Wednesday May 1^st, inspirational legally blind marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder Dr. Sinead Kane joined some young pals at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 to launch Sightsavers Ireland’s 2019 Bright for Sight campaign, proudly supported by Post Insurance.

Sinead together with the children were wearing vibrant yellow to encourage businesses across Ireland to go Bright for Sight, by wearing something yellow to work and make a donation on Friday June 21st and give the gift of sight to the people in the poorest countries in the world www.sightsavers.ie/bright. Just €32 can provide one cataract operation to restore one person’s sight. Why yellow – yellow is the easiest colour to identify for people with a visual impairment.

Sinead is a visually impaired athlete, a qualified lawyer, a keynote speaker and freelance researcher, who is a double Guinness World Record holder and has been awarded two PhD doctorates. Outstanding achievements considering she only has five percent vision and is registered as legally blind. Sinead came on board with Sightsavers Bright for Sight campaign last year and wants to continue to raise awareness of the Bright For Sight initiative.

Commenting on her involvement in the campaign Sinead said: “This is my second year as an ambassador for Sightsavers Ireland and we are asking as many people as possible across Ireland to take part in Bright for Sight by wearing something yellow on June 21st. We’d love to turn Ireland sunshine yellow so if people can dig out their lemon blazer, mustard socks, yellow heels or whatever they have and go Bright for Sight they will be changing someone’s life forever.”

Post Insurance are the title sponsors of Bright for Sight and Managing Director, Paul Grimes, says they are proud to be behind an event that will transform lives: “Post Insurance are delighted to support the Bright for Sight campaign this year. Wearing yellow on June 21st is a great way to brighten up any workplace, but we take great pride in knowing that it will mean the lives of so many people will be transformed through the gift of sight.”

01/05/2019 NO REPRO FEE Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight. Inspirational legally blind marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder Dr. Sinead Kane joined some young pals at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 to launch Sightsavers Ireland’s 2019 Bright for Sight campaign, proudly supported by Post Insurance. Pictured is Sinead with (l to r) Lochlain Quinn (8, Naas, Co. Kildare) and Senan Quinn (10, Naas, Co. Kildare). Sinead together with the children were wearing vibrant yellow to encourage businesses across Ireland to go Bright for Sight, wear something yellow to work and make a small donation on Friday June 21st and give the gift of sight to the people in the poorest countries in the world www.sightsavers.ie/bright. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

01/05/2019 NO REPRO FEE Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight. Inspirational legally blind marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder Dr. Sinead Kane joined some young pals at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 to launch Sightsavers Ireland’s 2019 Bright for Sight campaign, proudly supported by Post Insurance. Pictured is Sinead with (l to r) Pippa Smullen (5, Allenwood, Co. Kildare), Saorlaith Quinn (6, Naas, Co. Kildare) and Lily Smullen (8, Allenwood, Co. Kildare). Sinead together with the children were wearing vibrant yellow to encourage businesses across Ireland to go Bright for Sight, wear something yellow to work and make a small donation on Friday June 21st and give the gift of sight to the people in the poorest countries in the world www.sightsavers.ie/bright. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

01/05/2019 NO REPRO FEE Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight. Inspirational legally blind marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder Dr. Sinead Kane joined some young pals at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 to launch Sightsavers Ireland’s 2019 Bright for Sight campaign, proudly supported by Post Insurance. Pictured is Sinead with (l to r) Pippa Smullen (5, Allenwood, Co. Kildare) and Lily Smullen (8, Allenwood, Co. Kildare). Sinead together with the children were wearing vibrant yellow to encourage businesses across Ireland to go Bright for Sight, wear something yellow to work and make a small donation on Friday June 21st and give the gift of sight to the people in the poorest countries in the world www.sightsavers.ie/bright. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

01/05/2019 NO REPRO FEE Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight. Inspirational legally blind marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder Dr. Sinead Kane joined some young pals at the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 to launch Sightsavers Ireland’s 2019 Bright for Sight campaign, proudly supported by Post Insurance. Pictured is Sinead with (l to r) XXX. Sinead together with the children were wearing vibrant yellow to encourage businesses across Ireland to go Bright for Sight, wear something yellow to work and make a small donation on Friday June 21st and give the gift of sight to the people in the poorest countries in the world www.sightsavers.ie/bright. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

01/05/2019 NO REPRO FEE Dr Sinead Kane Goes Bright for Sight. Inspirational legally blind marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder Dr. Sinead Kane visited the GPO on O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 to launch Sightsavers Ireland’s 2019 Bright for Sight campaign, proudly supported by Post Insurance. Sinead is wearing vibrant yellow to encourage businesses across Ireland to go Bright for Sight, wear something yellow to work and make a small donation on Friday June 21st and give the gift of sight to the people in the poorest countries in the world www.sightsavers.ie/bright. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

Ciara Smullen, Head of Major Giving at Sightsavers Ireland, says the numbers speak for themselves: “There are about 285 million people around the world who are visually impaired, and 36 million of those are living with blindness. Most people are surprised to find out that 75% of this is avoidable. People’s Bright for Sight donations really do go such a long way in the developing countries where we work; just €2 provides a pair of glasses, €4 pays for a lens for a child’s cataract operation, and €104 can restore a child’s sight through a cataract operation.”

For more information on how to register your company or to download a fundraising pack visit www.sightsavers.ie/bright

Look out for our posters on Dublin Bus and remember to share your photos on social media – mention @SightsaversIE so we can see you and your colleagues go Bright for Sight! Proudly supported by Post Insurance.

Sightsavers Ireland is a registered charity (CHY15437) that works in more than 30 developing countries to prevent blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities www.sightsavers.ie

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For further media information, please contact:

Mari O’Leary/Kristi Kuudisiim, O’Leary PR on 01 6789888 / 087 2574253

marioleary@olearypr.ie/ kristikuudisiim@olearypr.ie

Alison Bough, Communications Manager at Sightsavers Ireland, 01 2700023/ abough@sightsavers.ie