Safilo has announced a new three-year commitment to Special Olympics at its Extended Global Leadership Team meeting on 2nd February 2016, when 150 of Safilo’s global leaders gathered at Safilo’s headquarters in Padua, Italy. The partnership between Safilo and Special Olympics dates back to 2003 and over the past 12 years has led to over 1 million optical frames and sunglasses provided to Special Olympics athletes all over the world. As part of the Special Olympics global health platform made possible through the support of the Golisano Foundation and various stakeholders, the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program provides Special Olympics athletes in more than 80 countries with vision examinations, prescription eyewear and valuable referrals for follow–up care. 

 

“It is Safilo’s honour to continue our longstanding partnership with Special Olympics. Serving society is at the heart of our Industry. Eyewear exists to care for Eye Sight, nurture Beauty and enable Vision,” comments Luisa Delgado, CEO of Safilo Group. “With Special Olympics, we serve athletes and specific broader groups with projects across the world, to bring their extraordinary visions to life. We are proud to contribute with our glasses, donating frames designed with craftsmanship and quality for comfort and fit.”

 

“Special Olympics has found that one out of every five athletes competing at Games has never had an eye examination and more than one in three athletes need a new eyewear prescription,” explains  Mary Davis, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics, Inc. “Partners such as  Safilo are crucial to the success of our Opening Eyes program because together we work to break down the barriers that people with intellectual disabilities experience when seeking quality health care and access to health services. We are extremely grateful for Safilo’s continued commitment to Special Olympics and we look forward to three more years of this important partnership which benefits athletes in such a significant way,” added Mary Davis.        

 

Since the very beginning, Safilo’s involvement with Special Olympics has been as global supplier of the Opening Eyes vision care program. Opening Eyes, part of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® public health initiative, is the largest program in the world dedicated to providing vision care for people with intellectual disabilities. A large number of athletes have the chance to benefit from the vision screenings and above all, to receive prescription eye glasses to correct their vision impairments and sunglasses to protect their eyes. The Opening Eyes program also provides sports protective eyewear for athletes that train and compete in contact sports.         

 

The eye health and vision care program called, “Opening Eyes”, was founded by Dr. Paul Berman of the American Optometric Association’s Sports Vision Section and formally incorporated into the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program in 1997. A generous grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation, the largest service club in the world, formalized a global partnership and enabled the Opening Eyes program to expand internationally. Opening Eyes is able to provide prescription eyeglasses to athletes in need in collaboration with Essilor International, who provides the polycarbonate lenses necessary for the fabrication of eyewear.     

 

Safilo renews its support of Special Olympics with the donation of over 160,000 spectacles and sunglasses per year up to 2018 for the athletes of Special Olympics. In addition, Safilo personnel will continue to take an active part in the implementation of the events as volunteers, donating their time and expertise for the benefit of Special Olympics athletes and those with intellectual disabilities.   

 

From the United States to France, from Spain to China, from South Africa to Australia, Special Olympics continually involves a number of athletes in sports events aimed at uniting a passion for sport with individual dignity and success. 

 

Through the support to Special Olympics, Safilo demonstrates its sensitivity towards important charity initiatives and corporate responsibility, supporting this project aimed at improving the integration and welfare of those involved.

 

Over the past 19 years Special Olympics has grown to become the largest global public health organization specifically focused on people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics, together with its partners, is making strides for ensuring inclusive health and working with corporations, organizations, universities, hospitals, and health care professionals to do more to ensure people with intellectual disabilities are not excluded from the health care systems within their communities.

 

Since 1997, the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program has been providing free examinations and education for people with intellectual disabilities across the areas of audiology, dentistry, health promotion, optometry, physical exams, physical therapy and podiatry. The award-winning Healthy Athletes program and the more than 135,000 health care professionals trained on the specific health care concerns of people with intellectual disabilities have provided more than 1.6 million free examinations to Special Olympics athletes worldwide in more than 130 countries.

 

  

About Special Olympics

Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.5 million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than 1.4 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 94,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Microsoft, Lions Clubs International, Toys"R"Us, Mattel, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics, fb.com/specialolympics, youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

 

 

About Safilo Group

Safilo Group is the fully integrated Italian eyewear creator and worldwide distributor of quality and trust, leader in the premium sector for sunglasses, optical frames and sports eyewear. Design inspired and brand driven, Safilo translates extraordinary design into excellent products created thanks to a superior craftsmanship expertise dating back to 1878. With an extensive wholly owned global distribution network in 39 countries – in North and Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific and China – Safilo is committed to quality distribution of its products all around the world. Safilo’s portfolio encompasses Carrera, Polaroid, Smith, Safilo, Oxydo, Dior, Dior Homme, Fendi, Gucci, Banana Republic, Bobbi Brown, BOSS, BOSS Orange, Céline, Fossil, Givenchy, HUGO, J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez, Jack Spade, Jimmy Choo, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Liz Claiborne, Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Max Mara, Max&Co., Pierre Cardin, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tommy Hilfiger. 

 

Listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (ISIN code IT0004604762, Bloomberg SFL.IM, Reuters SFLG.MI), in 2014 Safilo recorded net revenues for Euro 1,178 billion.

 

Contacts:

 

Safilo Group Press Office

Milan – Ph. +39 02 77807607

Padua – Ph. +39 049 6986021

 

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