Share Los Angeles, CA - August 29, 2008 – The Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP) along with The Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF) will be participating in the annual AARP’s National Event and Expo in Washington D.C. from September 4 to 6, 2008. MDP has been instrumental in working with AARP in organizing the Vision Pavilion at the expo. The Vision Pavilion will be one of 9 pavilions highlighted, and will include various organizations and vendors distributing free samples and information about vision loss prevention. There will also be a pavilion stage with speakers and raffles taking place over the three-day event. This year's tag line for the Vision Pavilion is "life begins at 50, vision loss doesn’t have to!"

As one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over. They are dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age. They lead positive social change and deliver value to their 38 million members through information, advocacy and service. This year’s AARP National Event and Expo will take place at the convention center in Washington D.C. and is expected to draw approximately 35,000 visitors.

The Macular Degeneration Partnership has been Influential and an important player in organizing AARP's Vision Pavilion. Under the umbrella of the Discovery Eye Foundation, which plays a vital role in finding the causes of and cures for eye disease, MDP is a patient education and advocacy program for people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), their families and caregivers. Judith Delgado, MDP Director, has been participating in the AARP expo for six years, having had the first booth at the AARP National Event and Expo dealing with vision loss prevention. Since then, she has invited other groups to join her in the Vision Pavilion, which now includes nearly a dozen other organizations and vendors. It is one of the most visited pavilions at the annual expo.

"It is very exciting and rewarding to be a part of the Vision Pavilion, especially as AARP celebrates their 50th anniversary as an organization this year," says Judi Delgado. "As baby boomers age, we want to bring an increased awareness about early detection of eye disease, early treatment and low vision rehabilitation. We encourage everyone to come out to the Vision Pavilion to learn about prevention and coping with vision loss, as well as the current research efforts by many of the participating organizations."

In addition to Macular Degeneration Partnership and Discovery Eye Foundation, there will be several other organizations and vendors with booths inside the Vision Pavilion. They include: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, American Foundation for the Blind, American Optometric Association, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Humanware, Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation, and Wild Blueberry Association of North America. Support for the Vision Pavilion was provided by an unrestricted grant from Genentech, Inc. and the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Part of the Vision Pavilion's mission this year is to promote dilated eye exams to people age 50 and over. Food vendors will also be giving free samples and discussing the health benefits of anti-oxidants for the eyes. For those coping with vision loss, a Low Vision Booth will demonstrate special gadgets, design, furniture and technology in a kitchen and living room setting. Contributing their expertise and equipment to the Low Vision Booth are Enhanced Vision, Lowe's and OTT-LITE Technology, to name a few. Free glaucoma screening will be also available. In addition, prizes will also be given away as part of a free drawing, and will include iPod Shuffles, hand-held digital magnifiers, Fantas-Eyes Sunglasses, large print books, and much more.

Among the many Pavilion Speakers are Emily Chew, M.D., speaking on "AMD and AREDS;" Susan David, RD, discussing "Aging: The Power of Fruits and Veggies;" Sayta Verma, O.D., with the "Ten Common Culprits in Vision Loss;" and Marc Gannon, O.D. on "Better Lighting/Better Sight." In addition to the pavilion speakers, the very popular Nutrition and Health Editor of The Today Show, Joy Bauer, will be a featured speaker on the main stage and will be speaking on "Aging Gracefully: The Fountain of Youth in Your Grocery Cart."

This year’s AARP National Event and Expo will take place September 4 to 6, 2008 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. To learn more about the expo, please visit the AARP website at http://www.aarp.org/aarp_benefits/natl_events/ .

To learn more about Age-related Macular Degeneration, please visit the Macular Degeneration Partnership website at http://www.amd.org. For more information about Discovery Eye Foundation, please go to http://www.discoveryeye.org/.

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Judith Delgado of MDP, please contact:

Erika Maya
Ballantines PR
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Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310-850-0309
www.ballantinespr.com