November 8, 2000

Dear Friends:

Several weeks ago Mrs. Florence H. sent us a donation of $1 to support the Glaucoma Service Foundation at Wills Eye Hospital. Mrs. H. is an older woman living on a fixed income and had made two similar gifts during the past year. This time, she wrote to say that while she had wished to send more, she wanted to support our efforts in any way she could.

I'm writing you about Mrs. H. because I was so impressed by her resolve to help us in our goal to better understand and treat glaucoma. And I am grateful that Mrs. H.'s commitment is shared by thousands of others who support the Foundation -- at whatever level they can. Such support fuels our progress in the fight against glaucoma, which is now the second leading cause of blindness.

If you've been reading Searchlight on Glaucoma, you already know that this has been a very productive year for the Glaucoma Service. We've made important strides in building a stronger research presence. We're training a superb new generation of glaucoma specialists to become skilled clinicians and researchers internationally. And although we see more patients than any other Glaucoma Service in the world, we continue to treat each individual with great dignity, care and respect.

This year we are particularly excited about our new research initiatives. We focus on studies to improve the daily lives of glaucoma patients everywhere. And we are confident that Wills will soon set the international standard for clinical research.

Now we're asking for your support so that we can continue to move forward. As always, we'll keep you well informed of our activities during the coming year so that you will have an appreciation of the importance of your Annual Fund contribution.

Thank you so much for your support. Your gift will truly make a difference.

George L. Spaeth, MD