Transitions Optical And Country Music Artist Darius Rucker Strike The Right Chord By Helping Children Experience Healthy, Enhanced Vision

PINELLAS PARK, Fla., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After multiple outreach events across the country, Transitions Optical, in partnership with GRAMMY and CMA Award-winning country music artist and Transitions^® adaptive lenses™ wearer Darius Rucker, have made healthy, enhanced vision possible for hundreds of children in need.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63343-transitions-optical-darius-rucker-free-eye-care-new-glasses-to-children

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130919/MM79389)

"The ability to see clearly is such a big part of playing music and how I connect with my family, friends and fans," said Darius Rucker. "Having worn Transitions adaptive lenses for years, which are the lenses my eye doctor recommended to me from the beginning, I know what it means to truly see my best, whether I'm in the studio recording, performing outdoors in bright glare, or spending time with my family. These lenses enhance my vision and keep my eyes comfortable no matter where I go. By partnering with Transitions Optical, I've had a chance to help spread the word across the country about how important it is to value and take care of your eyesight, and especially how critical it is for children to receive the eye care and proper eyewear they need to see their best in and out of the classroom and in their everyday lives."

This summer, hundreds of students from the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School participating in a summer camp as part of the Country Music Association's Keep the Music Playing program, received a visit from Transitions Optical and industry partner VSP^® Vision Care's 40-foot-long mobile eye care clinic nicknamed "Eyenstein." The children received comprehensive eye exams conducted by local VSP optometrists, and if prescription eyeglasses were required, chose a brand new pair of eyeglass frames fitted with Transitions lenses at no cost.

Darius Rucker also spent one-on-one time with the students at W.O. Smith, explaining how important vision is to both his career and personal life and how the ability to see clearly impacts reading and playing music, answering the students' questions and even performing some of his hit songs for them.

During the CMA Music Festival held June 6 – 9, Transitions Optical and industry partner Visionworks^® continued to make an impact in the Nashville area by providing free vision screenings to nearly 2,000 Festival attendees – adults and children – while in The Buckle along Broadway throughout the week.

Additionally, at the "Hootie & The Blowfish Homegrown Roundup:  Back 2 School Basics," in Rucker's hometown of Charleston, S.C., more than 300 children from the Charleston County School District received free vision screenings from Transitions Optical and local VSP doctor Fred Shinners, Low Country Vision Center, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., as well as vouchers from VSP for new glasses fitted with Transitions lenses at no cost so they could see their best as they start the new school year.

Approximately one-third of the children at each event required prescription eyewear, which is more than the American Public Health Association average statistic – that one in four children has an undiagnosed vision problem that can interfere with the ability to read and learn.

"Research shows that 80 percent of learning is visual," said Brian Hauser, general manager, U.S. and Canada, Transitions Optical. "At Transitions Optical, we are committed to continuing to raise awareness about the importance of proper eye care and eyewear, not only by identifying vision issues, but also by correcting them and enhancing people's vision with Transitions lenses. Working with Darius Rucker as a brand ambassador this year has provided us with relevant opportunities to reach even more people, adults and children alike, to educate them about our family of products and which Transitions lenses best fit their lifestyle."

At the events, the children also received free, brand new books from Transitions Optical's partner, Bess the Book Bus, a mobile literacy outreach organization that travels to underserved schools and community centers nationwide distributing books to encourage a love of reading.  This is the fifth year that Transitions Optical and VSP have partnered with the Book Bus and more than 300,000 books have been given to children as part of the "Success is In Sight" multi-city tour to date.  The children and their families also learned more about eye health through lesson plans provided by Transitions Optical as part of its "Eye Didn't Know That!" program, which serves as a resource for parents, teachers and students to understand the importance of regular, comprehensive eye exams and taking care of your eyes.

To learn more and find out which Transitions lenses are a fit for your lifestyle, visit Transitions.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 Original Transitions^® adaptive 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 Transitions.com or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).

SOURCE Transitions Optical, Inc.