Art auction at Presidents' Dinner raises money for ICO Foundation

HONG KONG — At the ICO Presidents' Dinner here, famed artist Mrs. Chiu Ng Yuet Lau was on hand not only to show her skill and artistry in creating one of her nature paintings, but also to donate a painting for auction to raise money for the International Council of Ophthalmology Foundation.

The bid started at $3,000 but quickly escalated from bids by such dignitaries as WOC president and organizing secretary, Dennis SC Lam, MD, FRCOphth; Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology president, Yasuo Tano, MD; Alcon chairman, president and CEO Cary

Rayment and many others in attendance but eventually was won with a winning bid of $11,000 by Ms. Nellie Fong. Ms. Fong is the founder of the Hong Kong Lifeline Express Foundation. She is also the Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers China Operations. The money raised by the charity goes to establish scholarships in areas most in need around the world and to further educational goals within ophthalmology, according to ICO Foundation president Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD.

"The auction this evening is a very exciting event because it will help serve eye care worldwide by training people, providing for education and assisting the advance of our profession," Dr. Straatsma said. "The funds generated due to the generosity of this evening will support people who will be trained to take skills and knowledge from developed countries back to the communities in which they work and live. These scholarships are a very important part of creating quality care in communities around the world."

Dr. Straatsma praised Prof. Lam for organizing the event for the ICO and said Prof. Lam "organized this in his innovative and enthusiastic manner that has brought about major improvements in eye care throughout China, the community of Hong Kong and all of Asia."

Prof. Lam stressed the importance of supporting the ICO Foundation.

"The foundation's role in creating scholarships for those who have the desire and initiative but lack funding to gain an education in eye care in those places most in need of ophthalmologists is a very important part of solving blindness and low vision rates around the world," Prof. Lam said.

Mrs. Chiu has a direct connection to ophthalmology through her son Philip, who is an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and who was on hand to discuss her artistic style with her while she created a gladiola painting in front of the audience. He described her painting as a new kind of art that comes from the south part of China fusing a more modern and open mix of color combined with traditional Chinese brushstrokes.