Safilo and Essilor's contribution to Solcioe

2003 was a great year for Opening Eyes (OE), a program dedicated to improving vision care for people with intellectual disabilities around the world. The highlight was highlighted by the World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland, where over 7,000 athletes from 160 countries competed. This was the largest multi-sport event ever held in Ireland and the largest sporting event in the world in 2003. Among the many guest celebrities at Opening Ceremonies was Former South African President Nelson Mandela.

There were 67 OE events in 2003 at which more than 12,500 athletes received vision screenings, nearly 6,000 glasses were distributed and 735 athletes were referred for additional eye-care. Over 1,000 eye care professionals gave their time and talents to help screen the athletes. In addition, 31 clinical directors were trained from 25 countries. The OE program is now established in 45 states in the U.S. and 43 countries with further expansion planned.

These events could not take place without the support of many organizations and companies, the most important of which are Safilo Group, Essilor International, Liberty Optical and Lions Clubs International Foundation.

In 2003, Essilor International and Safilo Group entered into a three-year partnership (2003-2005) with the OE program as the exclusive suppliers of ophthalmic lenses (Essilor), frames and sunglasses (Safilo). These supplies covered the needs of the OE screened athletes worldwide and both companies worked to give Special Olympics, and the OE program in particular, support in other ways such as event organization, communication activities and promotional materials.

Safilo was the OE's official supplier of ophthalmic frames and non-precription sunglasses for all events during 2003, totaling 25,000 pairs. Essilor International supported the 2003 OE program by donating 13,500 pairs of Polycarbonate hard coated lenses and organizing the lab services for edging and mounting. Liberty Optical, a staunch supporter of OE program for many years, donated 2,500 pairs of protective sport eyewear. The Lions Clubs International Foundation has funded OE for the last three years and has recently renewed their sponsorship for another 18 months.