Community Involvement

Brookside Optometric Group doctors are committed to you and your eye health, and to the community we share. From college scholarship contests for local high school seniors to medical mission trips around the globe, we believe in giving back and making a difference.

Our doctors are actively involved with numerous local charitable organizations, including the Central Valley Youth Symphony, Delta Humane Society, The Women’s Center, and St. Mary’s Homeless Shelter. We also support international programs such as the Red Rhino Orphanage in Kenya, Lions in Sight, and The Flying Samaritans to help change lives in communities all over the world.

As part of our ongoing goal to give back, we want to celebrate all that makes Stockton a thriving community. We are proud to be part of this city, and excited to provide you with an incentive to get out and enjoy the amazing opportunities Stockton has to offer.

Summerfest 2017 raised almost $11,000 for three nonprofit Humanitarian Eyecare Groups that Dr. Demshar volunteers his time with to provide eye exams and glasses. The annual event supports the St. Mary's Homeless Shelter Medical Clinic, the Central Valley Flying Samaritans, and Lions in Sight.

We hosted an American flag photo contest between Flag Day and Independence Day, and we invited the community to submit their best flag photos to win a pair of tickets to a Stockton Ports game and an American Flag.

A group of four doctors (including our own Dr. Demshar) and seven technicians from Lions in Sight examined 700 patients during a weekend in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This was Dr. Demshar’s 111th clinical mission.

We wore jeans for Denim Day on April 26 to support survivors and raise awareness about sexual assault. Our staff organized the event to raise funds to fight spousal abuse, and our doctors matched all contributions made in the office.

We hosted a giveaway for Stockton Ports tickets, just in time for the start of spring baseball season. Three winners received a pair of tickets to two Stockton Ports baseball games.

We sponsored our second annual $1,000 College Scholarship for a local student to help defray some of their costs when attending college. To enter, San Joaquin County high school seniors submitted a selfie with an influential teacher or coach, and shared about their vision for the future.

Brookside Optometric sent a few lucky winners to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship regional semifinal games in March.

We supported the Stockton Heat hockey team during the 2017 season by giving away two tickets to a February home game.

We collected Teddy Bears for the Stockton Heat’s annual Teddy Bear Toss in January. All bears were donated to United Way of San Joaquin County.

Brookside Optometric Group was selected as the first-ever private practice clinical rotation for fourth year interns at the Optometry School, giving students valuable insight and exposure. This is a joint project between the UC Berkeley School of Optometry, VSP, and Brookside Optometric Group. This is the first agreement of its type in California.

We gave back during the holiday season by collecting coats and blankets to donate to the homeless and our four-legged friends at the Delta Humane Society.

We supported the UOP men’s basketball team during the 2016 season by giving away a pair of tickets to the UOP versus Wyoming men’s basketball game.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our office staff wore pink on October 14 to stand together, united against breast cancer, and to raise money for breast cancer research.

Brookside Optometric Group staff participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 8. Our office matched all donations made to the American Cancer Society in support of our team and the fight against cancer.

The Stockton Symphony celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 2016. We joined the celebration by giving away two tickets to the opening night performance.

Dr. Demshar flew with the Flying Samaritans to two health care clinics in San Felipe, Mexico and one in San Quintin, Baja to provide eye care for thousands of people in need. This pushed Dr. D’s humanitarian trips to well over the 100 mark.

Drs. Bob and Rosie Melrose were proud to once again be a Gold Sponsor at the St. Mary's Walk-a-Thon for the Red Rhino Orphanage Project. Red Rhino is an orphanage in Kenya founded by local Stocktonians. Bob and Rosie have supported a child at the orphanage for many years, and had the opportunity to finally meet her in person when they traveled to Kenya in June.

We sponsored our first annual $1,000 College Scholarship for a local student to help defray some of their costs when attending college. To enter, San Joaquin County high school seniors submitted a 90-second video describing one way they made a difference in their community.