To raise awareness of its global impact and encourage fundraising through the end of the year, Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) has kicked off its “Light Up Their Eyes This Holiday Season” campaign. The appeal features stories of how the organization—through the generosity of individual and corporate donors—has provided the gift of sight to people around the world.

Throughout the coming weeks, the campaign will highlight a variety of real-life cases, including those of children in Zambia and Haiti who are better able to learn in school after support from OGS enabled them to be fit with their first pairs of glasses. Another tells the story of a health care professional in India who now incorporates education about primary eye care into her work with her community thanks to OGS-funded training.

“We are so proud of—and grateful for—the progress we’ve made in our mission to end preventable blindness and vision impairment by creating long-term sustainable solutions where they are needed most. But there is always more work to be done, and we can only do it with the help of donors. Every dollar counts,” said Lois Schoenbrun, CAE (Ret.), FAAO, OGS Executive Director, North America. “We hope that by showcasing the personal stories of those whose lives have been changed as a result of our support, people will be inspired to give during the holidays to this important and worthy cause.”

With the support of the ophthalmic industry, optometrists, patients, and other donors, Optometry Giving Sight funds programs to develop sustainable infrastructure, train local eye care professionals, and deliver desperately needed vision care in underserved communities both at home and around the globe.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Brunello Cucinelli Casa di Moda and EssilorLuxottica signed, at Casa Cucinelli in Milan, an exclusive ten-year license agreement for the design, manufacture and distribution of eyewear under the “Brunello Cucinelli” brand.

The new agreement will come into effect on January 1, 2023 and run until December 31, 2032. The first collection will be introduced to the market in the first quarter of 2024. This agreement represents an extension of the ongoing collaboration between the two companies started in 2021, which included the launch of a capsule collection signed by Brunello Cucinelli and Oliver Peoples.

Brunello Cucinelli, Executive Chairman and Creative Director of the Casa di Moda said: “The choice we met with the highly esteemed EssilorLuxottica is much more than an agreement. It is a token of mutual affection and respect between two realities that are inspired by a passion for beauty and for things done well.”

Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica commented: “We are thrilled to continue our journey with Brunello Cucinelli, a luxury lifestyle brand that represents the glamour of contemporary Italian style. Through our new branded eyewear collections, we will continue to deliver beautifully designed and crafted eyewear that embody the best of Brunello Cucinelli style for the consumers around the world.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

Bausch + Lomb announced its unique ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs have collected a total of 58,677,480 million units, or 356,723 pounds, of used contact lens, eye care and lens care materials, which is equivalent to the weight of 108 midsize vehicles. The first-of-its-kind programs are made possible through a collaboration with TerraCycle^®, a world leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste.

“Prior to the launch of Bausch + Lomb’s recycling programs, contact lens wearers, eye doctors and consumers did not have a dedicated way to properly recycle contact lens, eye care and lens care materials in the United States,” said Amy Butler, vice president, Global Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, Bausch + Lomb. “The ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care recycling programs are providing a solution to this concern and together are making significant strides in ensuring more and more of these non-biodegradable materials do not end up in our environment and instead become a variety of post-consumer products.”

“The Bausch + Lomb ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care recycling programs are two prominent programs my practice uses daily to help ensure we are being as sustainable as possible,” said Gina Wesley, O.D., Complete Eye Care, Medina, Minn. “My patients are also pleased to hear about these programs during their appointments so they, too, can help minimize the waste these materials generate.”

The ONE by ONE Recycling program has collected more than 58 million used contact lenses, blister packs and top foils since the program’s launch in November 2016. The Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, which launched in April 2021, has collected more than 320,000 eye drop single dose units, lens cases, lens solution caps and Biotrue Hydration Boost Lubricant Eye drops multi-dose bottles.

Bausch + Lomb has a similar contact lens recycling program in Canada called Every Contact Counts. visit www.BauschRecycles.com.

Click HERE for the full press release.