November is Eye/Cornea Donation Month (EDM)!

We invite you to join us in celebrating Eye Donation Month. This annual observance strives to raise awareness about cornea donation and transplantation, honoring the gift of sight given by selfless donors and their families, celebrating corneal transplant recipients, and encouraging individuals to register as donors.

The Eye Bank Association of America announced this year's theme is "Everyday Heroes". It celebrates how nearly anyone can be a cornea donor and therefore a superhero by giving the gift of sight. It also honors all the everyday superheroes who restore sight: donors and their families, eye bank staff, corneal surgeons, champions of eye donation and more.

A few ways you can join us in celebrating the observance :

Chalk It Up - join alongside hospital partners, donor families, and supporters in chalking awareness messages on sidewalks and walkways

Visit our Donate Life, Gift of Sight tables at community events in Edinburg on November 1st - Daniel A Saldana "Share The Love" Memorial 5K and in San Antonio on November 15th - Mission Marquee Plaza Farmers & Artisan Market

Attend and participate in a group photo at an Eye Donation Proclamation presentation in Rio Grande Valley on November 4th, November 10th or November 13th

Print the EDM poster or graphic featuring Christine, cornea transplant recipient. Post it on a neighborhood community board / staff breakroom / local coffee shop community board

You can also follow us on social media to re-share and like our EDM posts throughout the month, host a Donate Life Gift of Sight Flag Raising, or contact us if you want to explore more ideas and opportunities.

Quilt Libraries for Life

We appreciate the community libraries that have again joined in celebrating Eye Donation Month through our Quilt Libraries for Life program. Beginning November 1st, the libraries listed below will be displaying Gift of Sight Memorial Quilt Blankets, along with Donate Life, Gift of Sight educational brochures.

Books on the shelves of libraries are filled with stories and information for readers in the community. It is our hope that in reading and viewing the stories of donor heroes, viewers will be inspired to further educate themselves on the donation cause and consider registering as a donor.

·       Collins Garden Library - 200 N. Park Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78204

·       Great Northwest Library - 9050 Wellwood, San Antonio, TX 78250

·       Guerra Library - 7978 Military Dr. W., San Antonio, TX 78227

·       Leon Valley Public Library - 6425 Evers Rd., Leon Valley, TX 78238

·       Maverick Library - 8700 Mystic Park, San Antonio, TX 78254

·       Potranco Library - 8765 TX-151 Access Rd, San Antonio, TX 78245

·       Westfall Library - 6111 Rosedale Court, San Antonio, TX 78201

·       Thousand Oaks Library - 4618 Thousand Oaks Dr., S.A., TX 78233

·       Cody Library - 11441 Vance Jackson Rd., San Antonio, TX 78230

·       Johnston Library - 6307 Sun Valley Drive, San Antonio, TX 78227

UTRGV (beginning Nov. 7th)

·       BLIBR University Library - One W. University Blvd.,

Brownsville, TX 78520

·       ELIBR University Library - 1201 W. University Dr.,

Edinburg, TX 78539

·       HCEBL Clinical Education Building - 2102 Treasure Hills Blvd.,

Harlingen, TX 78550

If you are a patron of one of the above stated libraries, please share with the librarian or manager your appreciation for their support of Eye Donation Month.

Celebrating Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not specifically a part of Eye Donation Month activities. Nonetheless, we've celebrated the holiday that is traditionally celebrated in early November, with donor families and our community members for several years.

Thank you to the families who attended and captured photos of the RGV Bridging Lives - Gift of Sight altar in Edinburg, Texas during the Los Muertos Bailan on October 25th.

In the RGV, we are also hosting altars at The Kelsey Bass Museum in Rio Grande City, Texas and Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum in Harlingen, Texas.

Our San Antonio area Bridging Lives - Gift of Sight Altar is open for the community at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. We have hosted the altar for over a decade, thanks to our partnership with the center. For additional details on all of the altars, view the poster summary here.

Sip for Sight - Partnerships with RGV Coffee Shops

We are very excited to partner with four coffee shops around the Rio Grande Valley in our 2025 #SipforSight campaign from November 3rd - 30th in celebration of Eye Donation Month.

If you live or travel to the Rio Grande Valley this month, stop by one of the four locations to grab a cup of a tasty beverage, snap a photo with your cup and post on social media with the specified tags for a chance to win a weekly coffee gift card.

Greater Coffee Co.

Harlingen, TX

greatercoffee.com

Grind Coffee Co.

Edinburg, TX

grindcoffee.com

Weslaco Daily Grind

Weslaco, TX

weslacodailygrind.com

Missions Coffee House

Harlingen, TX

@missionscoffeehouse

We'll be re-sharing tagged photos of participating customers throughout the month. If you own or manage a coffee shop and would like to participate next year, send us an email at info@saeyebank.org, so that we can plan to add you to the endeavor in 2026.