But excellence is also expressed by a leader's ability to give back. IRIS strives to set an example in this area with two notable implications: internationally, through IRIS Mundial and locally, through active participation in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau.
IRIS Mundial
According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), in 2020, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss, of which 90% is preventable or treatable. Cataracts (9%) or uncorrected refractive errors (61%) account for most vision loss. IRIS Mundial's mission is to improve underserved people's eye health in developing countries by giving them access to high-quality preventive and curative eye care services and thus improving their living conditions. Ad hoc missions are held to provide eye examinations and cataract surgeries. Permanent projects in partner countries have also been established to ensure the sustainability of services. IRIS Mundial's support to its partners takes many forms, from the construction or rehabilitation of community eye clinics, to financial and equipment support, as well as continuing education in the field of eye care.
Since 2001, IRIS Mundial volunteers participated in more than 24 missions and 22 training projects, mainly in Haiti and Peru, but also in Senegal, Mexico, Benin, Mozambique and India. Thanks to IRIS Mundial volunteers, more than 102,000 people received care. In all IRIS clinics across Canada, February is IRIS Mundial month. For each pair of glasses sold, $10 is donated to IRIS Mundial. In February of 2023, IRIS raised $92,090. Since 2008, nearly 1 million dollars has been raised for IRIS Mundial.
To find out how you can support IRIS Mundial and learn more about their activities, visit their website or Facebook page.
CIBC Charles-Bruneau Tour
In Quebec, 2,000 children are currently suffering from cancer, and approximately 300 new cases are discovered each year. It is estimated that one in 400 children will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 15. The Charles-Bruneau Foundation's mission is to finance research so that all children with cancer can be cured and live healthy lives. IRIS has been associated with the Charles-Bruneau Foundation for over 20 years. Since 2014, IRIS has actively participated in the CIBC Charles-Bruneau Tour, a cycling event to raise funds for the Foundation. Since then, numerous fundraising activities have enabled IRIS to contribute approximately $50,000 per year. Every year, cyclists from IRIS ride hundreds of kilometres in Quebec and, over the years, have helped raise more than $240,000. Thanks to the money invested in cancer research, the overall cure rate for major types of cancer has risen from 30% in 1980 to over 80% nowadays.
IRIS is proud of its involvement in the CIBC Charles-Bruneau Tour. The participation of IRIS as a partner of the Fondation Charles-Bruneau makes a real difference. By participating in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau, we are contributing to a great dream: that all children will one day be able to say: "When I grow up, I will be cured"!
Click here to donate.