Hi guys!! 

Geoff and I are running the Victoria Park Half-Marathon on November 19th, to raise awareness and money for an important cause called "young professionals who feel the compulsive need to run organised races and rather than just participate instead annoyingly also publicise it to their immediate social circle and guilt trip their friends and families into contributing money to some charity". Sadly its an increasingly common problem- perhaps you even know people who are affected... 

Jokes aside we are indeed running the aforementioned half-marathon, and are raising awareness and funds for a great charity called Peek Vision.

2.5 Billion people worldwide do not have access to basic eye care tests to monitor their vision. 39 million are blind, of which 80% are blind from conditions for which we have cures or preventative treatment. Most of these peoples are concentrated in less economically developed countries. 

Though many local hospitals in these locations are able to provide effective cures and treatments such as cataract surgery- the leading cause of blindness- actually identifying patients in need and facilitating patient access to services is the main barrier. 

Peek Vision has devised an easy-to-use portable smartphone based app called Peek, which clinicians around the world can take to patients at home, examine them at their front doors, and diagnose them there and then. Peek can check glasses prescription, and diagnose cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. The app also stores contact information and GPS data for each patient for future follow-up.

This is an amazing public health project utilising sophisticated technology with the potential to help millions of people gain improved access to reliable eye care testing.  

Money donated will go towards helping Peek Vision further establish their current programmes, and expanding their influence to different developing countries in need. 

For a demonstration of their super cool smartphone app see below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHS2sRL8r04

and for more information check out:

http://www.peekvision.org/

Thanks so much for reading, and for your support

Lots of Love,

Microsoft Axelle and Geofferson Airplane

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