FAIRFIELD, NJ (July 7, 2010) - Just in time for back-to-school, Prevent Blindness America, The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, Inc. have declared September as Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month in an effort to educate the public on the importance of wearing proper eye protection while playing sports.
The three organizations have joined efforts to launch an awareness campaign to Eye Care Professionals, specifically those who are Sports Eye Injury Prevention Centers, which will provide them with the materials they need to make eye safety a priority for kids when playing sports.
Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America, stated that “by joining together with The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries and Liberty Sport, we hope to remind the public that 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable through proper eye protection. This program aims to help educate the public on the simple steps they can take to ensure a lifetime of healthy vision.”
“We all recognize that it is important to continue to get the message out to patients, so to make it easy we have put together a ‘September is Sports Eye Injury Prevention Awareness Month’ kit containing both the following in-store support materials and consumer outreach materials ” continued Anthony DiChiara, CEO of Liberty Sport. (Kit contents and photos listed below)
In conjunction, Liberty Sport is hosting its Second Annual Sports Center Contest from August through October, details of which are available on the “Retailer Only” section of the LibertySport.com website.
“Preventing Sports Eye Injuries is my passion,” says Paul Berman, O.D., F.A.A.O and Chairman for The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries. “After working with Liberty Sport to convert Eye Care Professional offices to Sports Eye Injury Prevention Centers for the past year, we are pleased by the results of their internal studies showing that by instituting the steps of the SEIPC, their office sales have increased an average of 150%, while also leading to a greater decrease in this tragic loss of the priceless gift of sight. Further supporting the Sport Eye Injury Prevention Centers with this annual campaign should prevent the needless loss of sight and blindness that occurs while people are playing sports.”
Download the sports eye safetypress release.
Liberty Sport is a time tested company that is owned and operated by its founders, the DiChiara family, and which specializes in the engineering, design and distribution of protective sports eyewear and rx'able sunwear. For over eight decades, Liberty has supplied the professional eye care community with the industry's leading protective sports eyewear with its Rec-Specs and F8 brands. Liberty Sport has been at the forefront of the growing movement to promote eye safety for children participating in scholastic and recreational sports. Today, Liberty Sport sells and distributes its eyewear to eye care professionals and leading optical chains worldwide.
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading patient and consumer advocate dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening, training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, divisions and chapters, it's committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020.
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