Many hundreds of donors in the two centres opened their wallets to the foundation in that time, despite there being no additional campaigns or events in the region. 

The whole Central West got behind the Fred Hollows Foundation, with Dubbo and surrounds donating just under $50,000 and the Orange area donating over $46,000 in the past 12 months. 

A spokesperson for the Fred Hollows Foundation said regional areas were always huge supporters of their work. 

“Fred Hollows always had a special affinity for the people of regional and rural Australia, and communities like Bathurst have always been wonderful supporters of continuing his legacy through The Fred Hollows Foundation.”

The Fred Hollows Foundation helped deliver a record 1,106,654 eye operations and treatments in 2017, and in the 25 years since Fred Hollows died, communities like Bathurst have helped the Foundation train over 100,000 eye surgeons, nurses, community health workers and teachers to carry on Mr Hollow’s legacy. 

Gabi Hollows, Founding Director of The Fred Hollows Foundation, also thanked the community for its support and, as the financial year comes to an end, encouraged people to give whatever they can to help keep Fred’s vision alive.

“I would like to thank each and every person who has helped us continue Fred’s legacy and change the lives of many millions of the world’s poorest people living with avoidable blindness,” Gabi Hollows said.

“There are still 36 million people in the world who are blind and four out of five of them don’t need to be – their blindness is preventable or treatable.

“Fred once said: ‘The alternative is to do nothing – and that’s not an alternative’.

“The Fred Hollows Foundation can restore sight for as little as $25 in some countries, so every bit of support we receive truly can change millions of lives.”

Chief Executive Officer of The Fred Hollows Foundation, Ian Wishart, said the organisation’s results demonstrate its commitment to creating long-term solutions for those trapped in poverty by avoidable blindness.

Timothy, one of more than 16,000 children in Kenya who are needlessly blind, was among those who received sight-saving surgery thanks to The Foundation.

Already unable to see the blackboard or read his schoolbooks, Timothy was in danger of losing his sight forever, Rona Rhoda, an ophthalmic nurse trained by The Foundation, diagnosed Timothy with bilateral cataract. 

“If he doesn’t have the surgery, he won’t go to school,” he said. 

“He will be blind for many years; it will be torturing for the family and it will be torture for Timothy.”

Timothy was referred to Dr Ernest Ollando, a paediatric eye surgeon also trained by The Foundation, and in just 20 minutes, Dr Ollando removed Timothy’s cataracts and the next day, when his eye patches came off, Timothy gave his dad Symon the world’s happiest high-five.

“I’m so grateful to everyone in Australia who made this possible for my son,” Symon said.