Transitions Optical announced that it is working with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) to raise awareness about the importance of proper vision care and vision wear among the African-American community. The photochromic lens maker said NCNW, a national, non-profit organization whose mission is to lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent, is “a natural partner” for its “Healthy Sight for Life: Focus on African-American Eyes” campaign, which launched at the NCNW Black Family Reunion Celebration on September 11 in Washington, D.C. This event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, attracted an estimated 250,000 consumers.
“As part of our ongoing multicultural outreach efforts, we are pleased to be able to work with NCNW to provide valuable eye health education to the African-American community,” said Manuel Solis, multicultural marketing manager, Transitions Optical. “Participating in the Black Family Reunion was a great start to our campaign, and we look forward to generating national awareness about vision care among this community with the support of NCNW.”
During the Black Family Reunion event, Transitions Optical provided free vision screenings at its booth in the Health & Wellness Pavilion in partnership with optical retailer, America’s Best. Transitions also provided free eye health education throughout the event with a presentation at the pavilion by Vincent Young, M.D., chairman of the Division of Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and by distributing materials—
including its new “What to Expect: African-American Eyes” brochure—there and at the Transitions-sponsored mobile clinic named Eyenstein, located on the National Mall. Eyenstein, a full-service mobile eyecare clinic, is the newest addition to the VSP Vision Care Mobile Eyes program and is a partnership between VSP and Transitions Optical. The Eyenstein clinic also visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington D.C., providing free comprehensive eye exams and Transitions lenses to community members.
More than 225 adults and children benefited from the screenings over the weekend, and nearly 75 appointments for comprehensive eye exams were scheduled.
Seiko Optical Announces Winners of Free-Form Stimulus Promotion
Seiko Optical Products announced the winners of its 2010 Free-Form Stimulus Promotion. The promotion, held in partnership with Seiko’s authorized independent laboratory network, ended in June.
The grand prize, a $5,000 Hawaiian vacation, was awarded to Kevork Tinkjian, from Custom Eyes of Cambridge, Mass. (US Optical). The second prize, a flat-screen television, was presented to Cindy Biancamano of Optics Unlimited in Groton, Conn. (Luzerne Optical). The third prize, a $500 gift card, went to Cody Freeman of Lovejoy Opticians in Portland, Ore. (Laramy-K). Scratch-off cards offered additional cash prizes and the chance to win Seiko watches.
Harbor Optical Offers Shamir Autograph II Lenses
Harbor Optical of Traverse City, Mich. has become the latest Shamir partner lab to offer Shamir Autograph II Freeform lenses.
“Our Lab Launch team worked closely with Harbor Optical’s team to prepare for the Autograph II launch by providing the educational background, support and collateral needed for a prosperous launch. Shamir and Harbor Optical have had a very successful relationship for over a decade, and with the release of Shamir Autograph II it’s certain that Harbor Optical will experience continued growth and success,” said Lance Bergeron, vice president of sales for Shamir Insight.
Shamir’s Autograph II line is digitally back-surfaced, allowing both the Rx and the design to be ground on the back-side of the lens. This technology enables each Shamir Autograph II lens to be produced with an accuracy of up to 1/100 diopters. With five different designs, each patient is ensured Autograph II lenses personalized to their specific lifestyle needs, and by grinding the design on the back-surface, patients receive up to 20 percent wider fields of vision, according to Shamir. The lenses are available with Shamir’s As-Worn Technology and FreeFrame Technology, and are fine-tuned for each patient by taking additional measurements and frame selection into account in the design.
—Andrew Karp
