TRANSITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR HEALTHY SIGHT EVENTS TO FOCUS ALL EYES ON VISION
Transitions Optical Plans Week-Long Series of Events to Transforms Golf Tournament Into Healthy Lifestyle Experience
ORLANDO, Jan. 26, 2009 – A series of local charity and educational events will set the stage for the Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight in the Tampa Bay area from March 15-22. Sponsored by Transitions Optical, Inc. and its partners, the events are designed to increase community involvement and enthusiasm during the PGA TOUR event and raise awareness about the importance of healthy sight as it relates to overall health and wellness.
“All of our efforts, including these events, are intended to make sure that all eyes focused on the tournament are focused on healthy sight,” said Paul Castner, business manager, Transitions Championship. “These activities provide another opportunity for us to bring national attention to the importance of healthy sight through the tournament, and to instill pride in optical industry professionals across the country because of the tournament’s prominence.”

Castner added that attention on the tournament will also be particularly high this year because it shares its location with this year’s Super Bowl, which will showcase the Tampa Bay area, and because rising young golf star Ryo Ishikawa has committed to play in the Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight, which will be only his second appearance on the PGA TOUR in the U.S.
Each day of the tournament will have a different health-related theme, supported by on-site activities to help educate on various aspects of health or wellness. The activities will be extended online at www.transitionschampionship.com to allow eyecare professionals and viewers at home to benefit from the education offered through the tournament.

The week will kick off with the “Live Your Vision” 5K Walk family event to benefit Prevent Blindness Florida, a chapter of Prevent Blindness America. Throughout the tournament, other sponsored activities will include spa services featuring Innisbrook’s new luxury spa, youth golf clinics and vision screenings, skin and sight sun protection seminars with product demonstrations, and screenings and demonstrations from overall health and wellness experts.

Finally, the last day of the tournament will be celebrated with the “Live Your Vision” event, during which attendees can enjoy guest speakers and relax in the Transitions Vision lounge. Optical industry partners such as the American Optometric Association, VSP and The Vision Council will also be on-site to support the events.

“With our partners, we are proud to present these activities as a way for members of the community and visiting tourists not just to watch, but to be a part of the tournament,” said Castner. “We believe that by enhancing the spectators’ overall experience and educating about important health issues, we are helping the tournament live up to its name.”

A full schedule of the week’s events will be available on the tournament’s Web site, www.transitionschampionship.com.