Safilo supports Special Olympics

Padua, Italy-Safilo Group has continued and expanded its support of the Special Olympics, donating more than 80,000 optical frames and sunglasses between 2010 and 2011 for Special Olympics athletes through the Opening Eyes vision care program.

The company was a sponsor of the recently concluded games in Athens, Greece, that brought together 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from more than 170 countries to compete in 22 Olympic-style sports. In addition, many Safilo personnel volunteered to assist with the events.

Safilo’s involvement with Special Olympics started in 2003 when it became a global supplier of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes vision care program. Opening Eyes, part of Special Olympics’ Healthy Athletes public health initiative, is the largest program in the world dedicated to providing vision care for people with intellectual disabilities.

The program provides a large number of athletes the chance to undergo vision screenings, receive prescription eyeglasses to correct their vision impairments, and obtain sunglasses to protect their eyes. The Opening Eyes program also provides sports protective eyewear for athletes who train and compete in contact sports.