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September 27, 2019September 26, 2019

Westgroupe Announces #WithoutMySight Challenge for World Sight Day 2019

WestGroupe is celebrating World Sight Day on October 10^th with Optometry Giving Sight. Each year, Optometry Giving Sight holds an international fundraising campaign that brings the global optometry community together to help end preventable vision impairment. More than 1.2 billion visually impaired people in the world have limited access to an eye exam and a pair of eyeglasses. This figure includes millions of children who depend on their sight to succeed in school. World Sight Day, an annual awareness day, is a global call to action to bring awareness and education on eye health.

For the second year in a row, WestGroupe is partnering up with Optometry Giving Sight and The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, along with a complete list of collaborators, in a combined effort to educate the public on eye health, as well as fundraise to help people in need of basic eye care.

To help inform the public, the #WithoutMySight social media campaign is a way to motivate people around the world to help end preventable vision loss and to better understand the immediate effects of vision loss and the importance of looking after your eye health. For every $5.00 raised, the foundation can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses for someone in need.

Starting October 2, Westgroupe will introduce their Champions on social media by publishing their story videos. On October 10, the #WithoutMySight Challenge of their Champions and collaborators will be launched. The Challenge will continue throughout the month of October to help spread awareness and educate people on the importance of eye health.

How to take the #WithoutMySight Challenge:

1. Choose a (safe) task you’d like to perform while blindfolded (making coffee, writing an e-mail, shooting a three pointer, preparing a snack, the options are endless!).

2. Have someone record you performing the task with your blindfold on.

3. Nominate 3 other people to take the challenge!

4. Upload and share your video on your social media accounts with the tags: @WestGroupe and #WithoutMySight and #WorldSightDay

5. Donate $5.00 at the following link: http://bit.do/WithoutMySight

Source: Westgroupe

September 26, 2019September 26, 2019

Marcolin Consolidates Its Market Share for Eyewear: Agreement Signed with MAX&Co.

MAX&Co., one of the world’s most important ready-to-wear fashion brands, has been added to the brand portfolio of the Marcolin Group.

An exclusive worldwide licensing agreement was signed for the design, production and distribution of women’s eyewear under the MAX&Co. brand for a five-year period from 2020-2024.

MAX&Co., whose collections balance quality, originality and versatility, has recently presented a new brand identity and design direction at Milan Fashion Week.

The MAX&Co. eyewear designs developed by Marcolin Group offer lightweight frames in a rich colour palette with signature brand detailing. Silhouettes range from creatively reinterpreted classics to dynamic contemporary styles for the fashion forward.

The MAX&Co. eyewear collection developed by Marcolin Group will be available in select opticians and in MAX&Co. boutiques worldwide.

Click HERE for the full press release.

September 26, 2019September 17, 2019

GENTLE FENDI Sunglasses Capsule Collection

Contemporary and yet unexpected, the FENDI and GENTLE MONSTER Capsule collection plays with on-trend shapes and material combinations. The result conveys a fashion-forward attitude with surprising colours and daring details. Refined, lightweight construction in geometric shapes with colour contrasting details. Daring colour combinations balance with GENTLE MONSTER’s unpredictable aesthetic with the FENDI’s playful spirit. Photo: GENTLE FENDI N.01

Distributed by Safilo: http://www.safilo.com/

September 24, 2019September 24, 2019

Transitions and the OAC Now Accepting Applications for the 2019 Students of Vision Scholarship Program

As part of a partnership to support the next generation of eye care professionals, Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) are now accepting submissions for the 2019 Students of Vision Scholarship Program. Currently enrolled (for 2019-2020 school year) opticianry, optometry and optometric assistant students from across Canada are eligible to apply for the chance to win one of three prizes: a $2,500, $1,500 or $500 scholarship.

To enter the scholarship program, students must develop a project in the form of an essay, video or presentation about how they plan to incorporate bringing more awareness to lens technology that will improve and/or protect their patients’ vision now and for the future. A flyer detailing the scholarship program challenge can be found at Transitions.com/StudentsofVision. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges against the following criteria: creativity, strategic thinking and ethics.

This year’s topic was inspired by consumer research that found that nine out of 10 eyeglass wearers declare they are light sensitive^[1], but 61% never spoke to their optician about it and 1 in 3 feel alone when it comes to light sensitivity. In fact, 79% noted that they would like to learn more from their ECP about light sensitivity and its consequences^[2]. In terms of harmful blue light, the results are similar: 88% of millennials, 77% of Gen X and 75% of Boomers consider harmful blue light protection important. However, only 31% of respondents knew that the sun is a source of harmful blue light^[3].

“Research has shown that patients are aware that they need protection and even consider this a priority in their eyewear, yet they are unsure of how to bring it up with their eyecare professional,” said Patience Cook, director, North America marketing, TransitionsOptical. “Our hope is that this topic continues the ever-growing conversation about all the various lens technologies for protection and better vision quality now available to patients.”

“We feel that this year’s scholarship topic aligns perfectly with part of our mission at the Opticians Association of Canada: to educate vision care consumers about matters related to their eye health,” said Robert Dalton, Executive Director, OAC. “We are pleased to partner with Transitions Optical for another year of the Students of Vision scholarship program and look forward to reading this year’s entries.”

All submissions should be sent to StudentsofVision@Transitions.com by November 1, 2019. The winners will be announced on November 15, 2019.

Click HERE for the press release.

[1] Transitions Optical life 360 live wearers testing in US, France, China (IFOP 2016/2017) – N=117 glasses wearers

[2] Transitions Optical, MVP research in US, Dynata 2019, N=993

[3] 2017 Wave 3 Consumer Brand Tracking Results. Online survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Transitions Optical, Inc. in December 2017

September 24, 2019September 24, 2019

AAOF Announces 2019-2020 Allergan Foundation Research Grant Recipient

The American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF), in partnership with the Allergan Foundation, announce Loretta B. Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, FAAO, as the 2019-2020 recipient of the Allergan Foundation Research Grant.

Dr. Flynn is a professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. She has been awarded a $60,000 grant for her project, “Modeling Corneal Endothelial Cell Health Parameters as Predictors of Keratoplasty Stress.”

Her collaborative group of co-investigators include:

Primary Investigator:

Loretta B. Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, FAAO

Co-Investigators: Tim McMahon OD, FAAO; University of Illinois at Chicago

Langis Michaud OD, FAAO; Montreal School of Optometry

Tracy Nguyen OD, PhD, FAAO; SUNY College of Optometry

Muriel Schornack OD, FAAO; Mayo Clinic Department of Ophthalmology

Christine Sindt OD, FAAO; Iowa Department of Ophthalmology

This highly competitive grant is awarded to talented optometrists and/or vision scientists, who are Academy members, and are currently undertaking cutting edge research in the areas of glaucoma and/or the anterior segment. This is the sixth year the Allergan Foundation has sponsored this generous grant through the AAOF.

Dr. Szczotka-Flynn and her team will be honoured for their achievement at the annual AAOF Celebration Luncheon at Academy 2019 Orlando on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

Click HERE for the full press release.