ESSILOR JUNIOR LENS SALES TO PROVIDE LENSES FOR CHILDREN IN NEED
For Every Five Pairs Sold, Essilor will Donate One Pair to the Essilor Vision Foundation
DALLAS – (May 22, 2009) – Essilor of America, Inc., the nation's leading manufacturer of optical lenses, announces that sales of Essilor Junior™ lenses from June 1 to December 31, 2009 will help children in need. For every five pairs of Essilor Junior lenses sold, Essilor will donate one pair to the Essilor Vision Foundation for its work to improve the vision of children across the country.

“This important initiative will allow each pair of Essilor Junior lenses sold to impact the lives of children who could not otherwise afford vision correction,” said Carl Bracy, vice president of marketing for Essilor of America. “Together with the Essilor Vision Foundation, we can help children see clearly and provide them with a better chance to succeed in the future.”

The Essilor Vision Foundation strives to eliminate the obstacles, such as financial difficulties and lack of understanding, that prevent families from getting the necessary exams and glasses for their children.

Eighty percent of everything children learn in the first 12 years comes through their eyes, yet one in four American children has a vision problem. In some inner-city communities, that number climbs to as high as one in every two children, and of those children, almost none are wearing glasses today.

Essilor Junior lenses are designed especially for children and their active lifestyles at an affordable price that parents will appreciate. The superiority of the lens provides critical safeguards for young eyes as they develop, by providing a durable and safe product that will withstand the constant abuse and need for cleaning that is common in children’s lenses.