Foundation Fighting Blindness to Honor Orange County Vision Leaders: Guests Will Dine in the Dark to Heighten Awareness and Support Sight-Saving Research

Orange County, CA - March 3, 2011 - The Foundation Fighting Blindness (www.FightBlindness.org) is hosting its Orange County Dining in the Dark on March 17 at the Fairmont Newport Beach at 6 p.m.

J. Andy Corley, co-founder of Eyeonics and surgical strategy advisor at Bausch + Lomb Incorporated, and Baruch D. Kuppermann, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and biomedical engineering and chief of retina service at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine, will both be honored with the Foundation’s Visionary Awards during the evening. The event will benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness, whose urgent mission is to drive the research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

“We’re honored to recognize two industry leaders for their significant contributions to the vision community and for their strong support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ effort to secure brighter futures for the more than 10 million Americans affected with sight-stealing retinal diseases,” said Bill Schmidt, CEO, Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Corley founded Eyeonics, which was acquired by Bausch + Lomb in 2008, and developed a new category of intraocular lens for use in cataract replacement surgery, gaining FDA approval for the innovative crystalens® in 2003. Also a co-founder of Chiron Ophthalmics, Corley played a key role in the introduction of LASIK surgery while general manager of the company’s Refractive Surgery division. In addition to his professor role at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Kuppermann focuses on bringing patients new treatments for a variety of retinal diseases at the university’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. He leads clinical trials relating to age-related macular degeneration and other conditions, and advises pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on getting treatments to the clinic.

Dining in the Dark is a distinctive sensory awareness experience in which guests participate in an unforgettable dining adventure, in complete darkness. For about 30 minutes, attendees will enjoy their entrée using only their senses of smell, sound and touch, to get a glimpse into the lives of the blind. Visually impaired servers, who are trained specifically for the dinner to use a system of ropes and stanchions, will help guests navigate through this new experience. Created in Germany, Dining in the Dark is a one-of-a-kind concept that has been popular in European cities including Paris, Berlin and Vienna. Moving to America in 2005, Dining in the Dark has enticed thousands of people who want to experience and understand an unfamiliar world.

Jennifer Stevens, whose son was diagnosed as an infant with the vision-robbing disease Leber congenital amaurosis, will share her story of how the family has coped with the diagnosis and worked passionately to raise thousands for retinal research. Another special guest will be Jane Neglia, also a dedicated Foundation volunteer who has been affected with retinitis pigmentosa from a young age. Neglia dedicates her life to helping others at an independent living facility where she works with elderly individuals who are also losing their vision. Jane has participated in Dining in the Dark as a server for the past four years, helping people navigate through the new experience.

Co-chairing the event are William J. Link, Ph.D., co-founder and managing director of Versant Ventures, and Jim Mazzo, president of Abbott Medical Optics and senior vice president of Abbott Laboratories. Dining in the Dark will immediately follow the 4th Annual Retinal Innovation Symposium, a one-day event that unites leaders in translational academic research and retinal disease drug and device developers to advance treatments for blinding diseases.

Individual tickets begin at $300 and sponsorships begin at $5,000. Please contact Donna Cohen at 310-207-2089 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

To RSVP as a member of the media, or to schedule an interview with a Foundation Fighting Blindness representative or honoree, please contact Victoria Shapiro at 202-414-0774 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is a national nonprofit driving blindness research that will lead to preventions, treatments and cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases that affect 10 million Americans. In its 40-year history, the Foundation has raised more than $425 million as the leading non-governmental funder of retinal research. With a network of 50 chapters, the Foundation also provides free disease information and low vision resources to affected individuals and their families. Most recently, a breakthrough Foundation-funded study using gene therapy restored significant vision in children and young adults who were previously blind, paving the way for using this method to treat a wide variety of retinal degenerative diseases, and proving a cure is in sight.