Transitions Optical And Brand Ambassador Darius Rucker Partner Together At CMA Music Festival To Educate Consumers About The Connection Between Healthy, Enhanced Vision And Enjoying Life's Everyday Moments

PINELLAS PARK, Fla., June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its efforts aimed at raising awareness about the importance of healthy, enhanced vision and its connection to enjoying the "sights" in everyday life – Transitions^® adaptive lenses™ – the "Official Eyewear of the CMA Music Festival" – is pleased to announce its partnership and kick-off of a week-long series of Nashville area events June 3 – 9 with GRAMMY^® and CMA Award winning music artist, and Transitions lenses wearer, Darius Rucker.  

During CMA Music Festival, from June 6-9, Transitions Performance Park will be located in Nashville's Walk of Fame Park, and more than 70,000 Festival attendees are invited to the Transitions Enhanced Vision Experience – offering the most enhanced view of some of today's best country music artists atop Transitions' two-story deck through trials and simulations of the Transitions family of products including Original Transitions lenses, Transitions^® XTRActive^® lenses and Transitions^® Vantage^™ lenses, as well as participate in some of their favorite outdoor activities and have the chance to win great prizes, including a meet and greet with Darius Rucker.

"One thing I love about being a musician is the ability to connect with my fans, and vision is very much a part of that experience," said Darius Rucker. "As part of my partnership with Transitions Optical, we're working to spread the word in Nashville and across the country about the importance of eye exams and having the right eyewear to fit your lifestyle."

"The opportunity to partner with Darius Rucker and serve as the Official Eyewear of the CMA Music Festival provides such a relevant platform for us to show people how healthy, enhanced vision can impact the way they live and experience life, no matter what interests they have," said Brian Hauser, general manager, U.S. and Canada, Transitions Optical. "Research has shown that 50 percent of vision problems are preventable through early detection and follow-up care, which is why we are looking forward to an exciting week of raising awareness about the importance of proper eye care and eyewear and providing everyone the chance to experience enhanced vision through trial opportunities with our Transitions family of products – at the Festival and throughout the local community."

Early during Festival week, Transitions lenses and industry partner Visionworks^® will also be presenting sponsors of the Darius Rucker & Friends Concert and the Darius Rucker & Friends Golf Classic, both benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  Rucker will also be joining Transitions Optical today at the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School, where the company and industry partner VSP^® Vision Care will bring mobile vision clinic "Eyenstein" to provide free eyecare services and new eyewear fitted with Transitions lenses to underserved students participating in a summer music camp made possible by CMA's Keep the Music Playing program, which supports music education. Rucker will spend time at the school sharing his own story about how vision impacts his career and personal life, and encouraging the students to take care of their eyes so they can see their best to read and play the music they love.

Mobile vision clinic "Eyenstein" will also visit the Andrew Jackson and Franklin Boys & Girls Clubs to continue to provide these services to children later in the week, along with mobile literacy initiative Bess the Book Bus, another partner of Transitions Optical's, which will be on site distributing free, brand new books to the children, reinforcing the connection between healthy vision and reading and learning.

"We are thrilled that Transitions Optical is joining us for the Music Festival this year," said Sheri Warnke, senior vice president, marketing and communications, Country Music Association. "With their significant presence and week-long activation, including the outreach event at W.O. Smith School and Boys & Girls Club to the tremendous experiences housed within Transitions Performance Park at the Festival, the Nashville community and event attendees are sure to learn more about eye health and benefit from Transitions' efforts here."

The Transitions lenses and Visionworks  tent located in The Buckle during the Festival will be providing free vision screenings to attendees and a special discount offer on frames fitted with Transitions lenses at select Visionworks store locations.

To learn more about Transitions lenses and to enter to win exciting Darius Rucker and CMA prizes, visit www.seemoresights.com.

About Transitions Optical, Inc.

Transitions Optical is a joint venture of PPG Industries, Inc. and Essilor International.  The first to successfully commercialize a plastic photochromic (or adaptive) lens in 1990, today the company is a leading provider of adaptive lenses to optical manufacturers worldwide.  Transitions Optical offers the most advanced adaptive technology in the widest selection of lens designs, materials and brand names – setting a new standard of advanced performance, enhancing visual quality, and providing more visual comfort and eye protection than ever before.

The Transitions family of everyday adaptive eyewear includes Transitions^® lenses, which remain clear indoors and automatically darken outdoors in changing light conditions; Transitions^® XTRActive^® lenses which maintain a comfortable hint of tint indoors and reach superior darkness outdoors; and the revolutionary Transitions^® Vantage™ lenses, the first and only adaptive eyeglass lenses to both darken and polarize outdoors, so that your vision is noticeably crisper with enhanced contrast and sharpness.

All products in the Transitions family of adaptive eyewear block 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays – helping to protect the health and wellness of your eyes – so you can see better in the future as well.

For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, visit http://en-us.transitions.com/ or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).

SOURCE Transitions Optical, Inc.