Events
The 2017 AKOA Annual Meeting will take place at the Great Western Council of Optometry's meeting, September 28 - October 1, 2017 in Portland, Oregon.
The 2018 AKOA CE Conference will be in Alaska's Capital City, Juneau, Alaska February 7-10, 2018.
2017 Calendar of Eye Care/Health Observances/Events
Promote the importance of regular optometric eye and vision care by participating in some or all of the observances listed below. Please note this list is not necessarily exhaustive, but provides an abbreviated list of those in alignment with AOA outreach and positions. Observances and campaigns supported by the AOA are noted in RED. Please visit the “Tools and Resources” section of the AOA for free template campaign materials. AOA supports individual promotion and participation by optometrists locally. Call the AOA Associate Director of Public Relations Susan Thomas 800-365-2219, ext. 4263, or email slthomas@aoa.org if you have any questions.
January
World Braille Day: January 4
Celebrates the birthday of Louis Braille
February
Wise Health Care Consumer Month
Sponsor: The American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Website: www.healthylife.com
American Heart Month
Sponsor: American Heart Association
Website: www.heart.org
Save Your Vision Month
Sponsor: The American Optometric Association
Website: www.aoa.org
March
National Nutrition Month
Sponsor: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Website: www.eatright.org
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Sponsor: The Brain Injury Association of America
Website: www.biausa.org
American Diabetes Association Alert Day®
(Fourth Tuesday of March)
Sponsor: American Diabetes Association
Website: www.diabetes.org
World Health Day (anniversary of its founding in 1948)
(annual observance: April 7)
Sponsor: World Health Organization
Website: www.who.int/world-health-day/en/
Sjögren's Awareness Month
Sponsor: Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation
Website: www.sjogrens.org
April
World Allergy Week
April 4-10, 2016
(annual observance)
Sponsor: World Allergy Organization (WAO)
Website: http://www.worldallergy.org
National Autism Awareness Month
Sponsor: Autism Society
Website: www.autism-society.org
National Public Health Week
(Held the first full week of April)
Sponsor: The American Public Health Association
Website: www.apha.org
May
North American Occupational Safety and Health Week
(annual observance, first full week of May)
Sponsor: American Society of Safety Engineers
Website: www.asse.org/NAOSH
SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands
(annual observance: May 5)
Sponsor: World Health Organization (WHO)
Website: www.who.int/gpsc/5may/en/
National Women's Health Week
(annual observance, begins on Mother’s Day each year)
Sponsor: Office on Women's Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Website: www.womenshealth.gov
World No Tobacco Day
(annual observance: May 31)
Sponsor: WHO Prevention for Noncommunicable Diseases
Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
Website: www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/en
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Sponsor: The President's Council on Fitness and Sports
Website: www.fitness.gov
Healthy Vision Month
Sponsor: The National Eye Institute
Website: https://nei.nih.gov/hvm/
American Stroke Month
Sponsors: American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
Website: http://www.strokeassociation.org/
Clean Air Month
Sponsor: The American Lung Association
Website: www.lung.org
June
Optometry’s Meeting®
Washington, DC
June 21-25
National Safety Month
Sponsor: The National Safety Council
Website: www.nsc.org
July
(AOA’s Back-to-School PR Campaign)
August
National Children's Vision and Learning Month
Sponsor: College of Optometrists in Vision Development- COVD
Website: www.covd.org
Contact Lens Health Week
(August dates TBD)
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Website: www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/contact-lens-health-week.html
Paraoptometric Recognition Week
(Held the third week of September)
Sponsor: AOA Paraoptometric Resource Center
Website: www.aoa.org
www.aoa.org/paraoptometrics
September
Healthy Aging Month®
Sponsor: Educational Television Network, Inc.
Website: http://healthyaging.net/september-is-healthy-aging-month/
Fruits & Veggies - More Matters Month
Sponsor: Produce for Better Health Foundation
Websites: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
www.pbhfoundation.org
October
(AOA’s Decorative Contact Lens Campaign)
National Health Education Week
(third full week of October)
Sponsor: Society for Public Health Education
www.sophe.org/nhew.cfm
November
American Diabetes Month®
Sponsor: The American Diabetes Association
Website: www.diabetes.org
Great American Smokeout
(third Thursday of November)
Sponsor: The American Cancer Society
Website: www.cancern.org
December
