FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Courtney Frost, cf@essilorvisionfoundation.org

ESSILOR VISION FOUNDATION AND KIDS VISION FOR LIFE PRESENT KIDS VISION FEST ON APRIL 17 & 18

Approximately 400 pairs of glasses to be provided for children in need at no cost, plus vision screenings for more than 2,200 children

SANTA ANA, California (April 9, 2014) – Did you know that 80 percent of what a child learns is through his eyes (Vision Impact Institute, 2011)? And that up to 25 percent of school children may have vision issues that affect their ability to learn (Vision Impact Institute, 2011)?

In an effort to eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences, Kids Vision for Life, a program in partnership with Essilor Vision Foundation, the Alcon Foundation and Marshal B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry, will host Kids Vision Fest on Thursday and Friday, April 17th & 18th, 2014, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held at Esqueda Elementary School, located at 2240 Main Street; Santa Ana, CA; 92707. Kids Vision Fest will provide vision screenings, eye exams and new eyeglasses at no cost to children in need ages 5 to 12.

Kids Vision Fest organizers estimate more than 400 students in need of vision services will receive eye exams and new glasses at no cost to the family. Optometrists will be on hand to provide the services, and, if an eye doctor determines a child needs glasses, the child will choose from a selection of designer eyeglass frames. The glasses will be delivered to the child’s school within 4 to 6 weeks from the event.

Kids Vision Fest 2014 is providing a resource that is needed by more children than most people may realize.

“We are excited to host a Kids Vision Fest in Orange County,” said Stephen Shawler, President of EVF. “Proper vision care can have a significant impact on the lives of our children, and we know that poor vision puts academic success at risk. Through Kids Vision Fests, we are able to give corrective glasses to children who didn’t even know they needed them.”

This is the first Kids Vision Fest for Orange County. Former First Lady Laura Bush helped launch the first Kids Vision Fest in Texas in 2010, and since then more than 3,000 children in need have received vision services through these events.

In addition to Essilor Vision Foundation and the Alcon Foundation, Kids Vision for Life Orange County partners include Marshal B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry, Children’s Health Initiative of Orange County, Santa Ana Unified School District, Orange County Dept. of Education, Bacchus Doc in a Box, Puente a la Salud, The Allergan Foundation, Helen Keller International, American Career College Department of Opticianry, Vision Service Plan, California Vision Foundation, Volunteer Optometrists Serving Humanity, The Lions Club of Santa Ana, UCI Department of Ophthalmology, OC Health Care Agency, U See Eyes Pre-Optometry Club, UCLA Bruins in Focus, Silver Valley Unified School District, Fort Irwin Military Base, Sunburst Youth Academy, The Orangewood Foundation Academy, K& H Optical Lab,Bartley Optical Lab, Elite Optical Lab, Meridian Optical Lab, Essilor, and Safilo.

For more information about Kids Vision Fest or to volunteer, please contact Sam Hahn at kidsvisionforlifeoc@gmail.com.

ABOUT KIDS VISION FOR LIFE

Kids Vision for Life is a charitable program created in 2008 by Essilor Vision Foundation, a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) public charity founded by Essilor of America with the mission to “eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences.” The program brings together non-profit organizations, schools, businesses, and community leaders to provide vision screenings, eye exams, and eyeglasses to children, ages 5-12, at no cost to the family through mobile clinics, schools and special events in communities across the U.S. To learn more or donate, visit www.kidsvisionforlife.org. Engage with us on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT THE ESSILOR VISION FOUNDATION

The Essilor Vision Foundation is a public charity and an initiative of Dallas-based Essilor of America, the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States. The foundation’s mission is to eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences.

We strive to give children a brighter future by helping them see the world more clearly. Our programs focus on improving the quality of school vision screenings so fewer children slip through the cracks, providing eye exams and eyeglasses free of charge to children who would not get them otherwise, and educating parents and communities about the importance of children’s vision care and the role it plays in literacy and educational success, society, and the economy. To learn more or donate, visit www.essilorvisionfoundation.org. Engage with us on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT ESSILOR

Essilor is the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States and is the market leader in progressive, high-index and anti-reflective coated lenses. A pioneer in the development and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor employs more than 9,000 people throughout North America. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, Xperio®, DEFINITY®, Thin&Lite® and other Essilor brand names. Essilor Laboratories of America (ELOA) is the largest, and most trusted, optical lab network in the U.S. and offers a wide choice of services and lens brands, including Essilor premium lenses, to eyecare professionals across the nation. Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, a publicly held company traded on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Reuters: ESSI.PA).

ABOUT ALCON

Alcon, the global leader in eye care, provides innovative products that enhance quality of life by helping people worldwide see better. The three Alcon businesses – Surgical, Pharmaceutical and Vision Care – offer the widest spectrum of eye care products in the world. Alcon is the second largest division of the Novartis Group with pro-forma sales of USD 10.5 billion in 2013. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A., Alcon has 25,000 employees worldwide, operations in 75 countries and products available in 180 markets. For more information, visit www.alcon.com.

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