Safilo Commits to New Three-Year Partnership with Special Olympics International
Friday, November 16 2018 | 10 h 16 min | News, Press Release
Safilo Group has re-committed its longstanding support to Special Olympics, the global non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
The groundbreaking global partnership between Safilo and Special Olympics dates back to 2003.
Over the past 15 years, it has led to over 1.2 million optical frames and sunglasses being provided to Special Olympics athletes as part of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes eye health and vision screening program.
This partnership renewal comes as a highlight in a momentous year for the Special Olympics movement, which is celebrating 50 years of tackling the inactivity, stigma, isolation and injustice that people with intellectual disabilities face worldwide.
The announcement of the new three-year commitment was made at Safilo’s headquarters in Padua, Italy. It will see an annual donation of over 60,000 optical frames and sunglasses as part of the Special Olympics vision screening program. The Special Olympics global health platform, which is made possible through the support of the Golisano Foundation, Lions Clubs International, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and various additional stakeholders, includes the Opening Eyes vision care programme. It provides Special Olympics athletes with vision examinations, prescription eyewear and valuable referrals for follow–up care. Safilo is a global supplier of the programme.
Opening Eyes, part of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes public health initiative, is the largest programme in the world dedicated to providing vision care for people with intellectual disabilities. Since its inception, 410,000 exams have taken place with 215,000 prescription eye-glasses being prescribed. The Opening Eyes programme also provides sports protective eyewear for athletes who train and compete in contact sports.
Click HERE for the full press release.
