Thanks to overwhelming support, the Antigua and Barbuda Glaucoma Support Group (ABGSG) has celebrated its March for Sight as a great success.

The march, which was intended to pass through the streets of St. John’s the weekend following World Glaucoma Day (12 March), was held last Saturday. Participants gathered at the Lion’s Den and walked along Independence Avenue, down Sir Vivian Richards Street, across Market Street and up Newgate Street before returning to the Den. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and Health Minister John Maginley were also in attendance and carried the lead banner at the very front of the procession
According to Dr. Jillia Bird, optometrist and president of the ABGSG, there were close to 300 people at the beginning of the march, but more joined the ranks as they moved through the streets.

These consisted of blind, sighted and disabled individuals, the elderly, infants, uniformed and non-uniformed school children – the Foundation Mixed Primary, TN Kirnon School and Adele School, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, members of the Professional Organisation for Women in Antigua, Pensioners Association, all the optometrists on the island and some ophthalmologists, and families of glaucoma patients. Also, an ophthalmologist from the US Virgin Islands, Dr. Billy Biscoe, flew into Antigua in order to attend the event.

Corporate and social groups also got involved with the initiative. Dr. Bird noted that the Lions and Leos, Interact Club and Grand Pineapple Beach Resort were represented at the event and Cedars Pottery, Bargain Centre, Trans Caribbean Marketing, the Home and Office Depot, LMR Signs and Photogenesis contributed. The march was also complete with drum corps from the Girl Guides and St. Joseph’s Academy, as well as members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and Salvation Army.

Dr. Bird said the support for the venture was considerable given the competition of the campaign countdown, other walkathons and bad weather leading up to the event. She commented that the march was “a really nice turnout for glaucoma and blindness prevention.”

World Glaucoma Day, a day that seeks to keep people from becoming blind through the circulation of information, falls on the same day as the general elections in Antigua and Barbuda. Despite this, there will be a number of activities held in this vein to try and get the word out about the disease.
by Brian Ho