Dedicated to improving lives by improving sight, a group of 104 employees from Essilor Canada and their partners: the Eye Disease Foundation, the Essilor Vision Foundation, the École d’optométrie de l’Université de Montréal and 6 volunteer optometrists have given back to the community in St-Jerome, Quebec, last January 12. Students from four primary schools were provided with a vision screening and free eyeglasses when needed.

This mission, organized in the framework of Essilor’s National Sales Meeting, allowed 253 St-Jerome students to benefit from a vision screening. Of these, 162 had good vision, 70 were referred to an optometrist for a more thorough examination and 21 had to make an urgent appointment with an optometrist.

Essilor has been organizing and participating into vision screenings for the last 20 years. It started with the general public, in the framework of the Bouquinistes du Saint-Laurent events, and then expanded in 2002 with the Opening Eyes program of the Special Olympics when Essilor became the official supplier of lenses for the Canadian athletes who participate in these events, where many employees also volunteer. In 2006, Essilor Canada became involved in the Join and See program of the Eye Disease Foundation, which brings vision screenings to primary schools in underprivileged neighborhoods, to provide organizational support as well as free lenses for children who need them. Vision screenings in primary schools also take place in British Columbia and Alberta.

Photo: One of the four groups of volunteer employees with two of the optometrists (in blue and in red in the centre of the picture)

Click here to read the full press release.