HONOLULU, Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Retina Institute of Hawaii (RIH) teams up with Paddleboard Race winner, Jamie Mitchell and Project VISION Hawaii. The partnerships are a tribute to passion and vision. Jamie celebrates his personal victory as 10th consecutive winner of the Molokai 2 Oahu Ocean competition and Retina Institute of Hawaii celebrates 10 years of treating macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and raising awareness of eye protection. Both Mr. Mitchell and RIH are advocates of eye safety amongst water sports enthusiasts of all ages and preventing common, debilitating eye conditions that damage the vision of those who spend a lot of time on or in the water.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110804/LA47325)

Retina Institute of Hawaii's founder, Dr. Michael Bennett, is a frequent participant in the Molokai 2 Oahu Ocean Paddleboard Race and has become friends with Mr. Mitchell competing in the race over the years. Their passion of water sports and similar interests in educating the public about eye protection in the water made them natural partners for this event promoting healthy vision. Project VISION Hawaii, a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization providing free public vision screenings, was founded by Dr. Bennett and gave each athlete completing the race a gift with a reminder of eye safety.  The most common condition on the surface of the eye is pterygia, a red, irritating growth on the eye often effecting waterman. "My eyesight is very important to what I love to do in the ocean.  I'm a big advocate of a healthy lifestyle," says Mitchell. "Dr. Bennett and his staff are true visionaries in their approach to eye care and preventing vision loss."

The Retina Institute of Hawaii will continue their winning streak to solve vision loss conditions across the Pacific Rim with outstanding eye care.  Patient care is at the forefront of RIH's mission and focuses on preventing, suspending or reversing vision loss. RIH pursues clinical trials involving some of the world's cutting edge retina technology and treatments. Dr. Bennett is a retina specialist and expert who serves on boards of pharmaceutical and surgical companies, leads continuing education programs for eye specialists and contributes to numerous publications, including Retina Today.

Retina Institute of Hawaii
1620 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 500
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 955-0255
www.retinahawaii.com

SOURCE Retina Institute of Hawaii