Our view: Support foundations efforts to provide scholarships, more eye-related research

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Another significant fundraising event in Rio Rancho is fast-approaching, but theres still 10 days to register to participate or donate to support a very worthy cause.

The Juliette RP Vision Foundation is sponsoring the sixth annual Vision Walk/Run and Car Show on Saturday, Aug. 16, with a pet-friendly 5K walk/run, kids fun run (8 and under), bake sale and other fun activities for the family.

All proceeds go toward the foundation to provide scholarships for visually impaired students and to young research scientists who are conducting retinitis pigmentosa and related retina research.

Vision Walk/Run will start in the parking lot at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, 2400 Unser Blvd., in Rio Rancho. Registration is $25 a person, $20 a person for teams of four or more and $10 a person for those 12 and under. Participants will get a T-shirt on the day of the event.

The run will begin at 8 a.m., with the walk set to start at 8:05. There will be awards for the three fastest runners in five age categories: 9-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 and above.

People can register online at JulietteVision.org, or sign up the day of the event, beginning at 7 a.m.

There also will be a silent auction for items donated by local businesses, including food coupons, movie tickets, art work and pottery. Bids will be accepted starting at 8 a.m. with the winners announced at 10.

The origin of the foundation has some deep Rio Rancho roots: The nonprofit organization was founded by Dr. Rob Melendez, an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon in Rio Rancho with Eye Associates of New Mexico, and some college classmates, including some in other fields such as law and marketing. Their first research grant was awared to an eye surgeon at the University of Michigan.

Retinitis pigmentosa refers to a group of conditions that causes degeneration of the retina. People afflicted with the hereditary disease experience night blindness, loss of peripheral vision and then, often, legal blindness by as early as age 40.

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Our view: Support foundations efforts to provide scholarships, more eye-related research