305 people find their core at a fundraiser for Right to Sight.By Amy Leibrock

Although they fell short in an attempt to set a world record for the biggest Pilates class, the organization Right to Sight made big strides in eliminating preventable blindness around the world on May 21. A 305-person Pilates class in Dublin raised a whopping 18,000 Euro (over $25,000!) for Right to Sight, a nonprofit in Ireland founded by eye surgeon Dr. Kate Coleman. It’s an impressive display of how Pilates can be used to make a difference for a good cause.

This event was more involved than a simple donation-based mat class. The organizers booked popular Irish singer Mary Black to perform, along with a local band, and rugby star Rocky Elsom made an appearance. Several corporate sponsors also supported the event. It cost a minimum of 25 Euros to participate, an amount equal to the operation cost of one sight-restoring surgery.

Eva Berg, owner of The Secret Pilates studio outside of Dublin, taught the class. “It was amazing,” she said. “We raised a stupendous amount of money for the charity and had lots of fun doing it.” She hopes to be involved in an even bigger event next year.

Right to Sight is working to eliminate blindness in India and several African countries by providing training and support to local hospitals and clinics. According to WHO estimates, approximately 45 million people worldwide are blindness, yet 80 percent of blindness is readily treatable and/or preventable. Here’s a video about the organization:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvhqn4h7kPM