Transitions Optical And Grammy And CMA Award Winning Music Artist Darius Rucker Bring Healthy, Enhanced Vision To Hundreds Of Nashville Area Music Students

PINELLAS PARK, Fla., Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In an ongoing effort to raise awareness about the importance of healthy, enhanced vision, Transitions Optical, along with brand ambassador and Transitions^® adaptive lenses™ wearer Darius Rucker and industry partner Visionworks^®, brought free eye care services to several hundred students at Pearl Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School prior to the 47^th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn. To underscore the importance of vision in reading and playing music, Rucker shared his own personal story with the students about the role vision has in his life, both professionally and personally.

"Being a part of this event with Transitions Optical and Visionworks was a great experience," said Darius Rucker. "Vision is a huge part of what I do not only in the studio and on stage, but also when I'm spending time with my family. When I first realized I needed glasses, my eye doctor recommended Transitions lenses based on my busy lifestyle, since they effortlessly change from clear to dark to enhance my vision and keep my eyes comfortable, even in bright glare. Meeting with the students at Pearl Cohn was an awesome opportunity to make a positive impact in these kids' lives, by reminding them not to take their vision for granted."

More than 50 percent of those screened at Pearl Cohn, a beneficiary of CMA's Keep the Music Playing program, were identified as requiring follow-up care as well as prescription eyewear – which is even more than the nationally accepted average of one in four students having an undetected vision problem that can interfere with the ability to read and learn. For these students, vouchers for a free comprehensive eye exam and a free pair of glasses fitted with Transitions lenses redeemable at local Visionworks stores were provided. 

Earlier this year, Transitions Optical and Darius Rucker partnered together to bring free eye care services to hundreds of students at Nashville's W.O. Smith Music School participating in a summer camp as part of Keep the Music Playing. At the CMA Music Festival, held June 6 - 9, Transitions Optical invited attendees to experience enhanced vision within Transitions Performance Park, and Visionworks provided nearly 2,000 vision screenings to adults and children in the Buckle along Broadway.

"For us at Transitions Optical, our partnership with Darius Rucker and our involvement with the Country Music Association this year have provided a relevant platform for us, along with our partner Visionworks, to raise awareness about the importance of healthy, enhanced vision," said Brian Hauser, general manager, U.S. and Canada, Transitions Optical. "During the CMA Music Festival and the events at W.O. Smith and Pearl Cohn, we've been able to really show people that taking care of your eyes by getting regular eye exams is critical, and that eyewear is about more than just correcting your vision – it's about enhancing your vision, so that you can see your best in all light conditions and experience all of life's moments, no matter what your interests are."

"Between our efforts with Transitions Optical on-site at the CMA Festival and now at Pearl Cohn, we've had the opportunity to impact thousands in the local Nashville community through vision screenings and one-on-one conversations with people about the importance of eye health," said Jim Eisen, president, Visionworks. "We're looking forward to having Pearl Cohn students and their families visit our local stores to choose their new eyewear so they can see their best."

To learn more about Darius Rucker's partnership with Transitions Optical and which Transitions lenses best fit your lifestyle, visit http://en-us.transitions.com/darius-rucker-talk-about-transitions-lenses/.

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).

About Visionworks of America, Inc.

Visionworks (formerly Eye Care Centers of America, Inc.) is a leading provider of eye care services with more than 600 optical retail stores in 40 states and the District of Columbia through 5 store names that are leaders in eye care service in each of their respective markets. Visionworks is committed to providing our customers with an excellent shopping experience and high quality products and service with the best value and selection in the industry. All of our stores offer designer and exclusive brand frames, lenses, sunglasses and accessories along with leading technology in vision correction. Our comprehensive service offerings include contact lens dispensing, in-store labs which provide one-hour service on many prescriptions at nearly all locations and doctors of optometry at or next to every store. Visionworks is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVHC, Inc.

For more information about Visionworks, visit www.visionworks.com.

SOURCE Transitions Optical, Inc.