Revo to Donate up to $10 Million to Prevent Vision Impairment and Blindness in 5 million People by 2020
NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Eyewear brand Revo has debuted a new capsule collection of sunglasses in collaboration with U2 lead singer and activist Bono as part of the “Buy Vision, Give Sight” campaign to prevent vision impairment and blindness in more than 5 million people by 2020.
Revo will donate $10 from the sale of every pair of Revo sunglasses, including Bono’s “Vision over Visibility” collection, up to a total of $10 million to the “Buy Vision, Give Sight” initiative. These funds will go to the Brien Holden Vision Institute who work around the world to provide eye care to those who cannot access or afford it.
“This is personal for me. I’ve been dealing with glaucoma for 20 years,” says Bono in an exclusive video released today. “The Brien Holden Vision Institute is leading the fight to end the kind of blindness and vision problems that can be prevented or cured. They now have an ally in Revo, and me.” He goes on to explain that without the medical care he has received, he would be blind.
An estimated 625 million people worldwide are blind or vision impaired simply because they cannot afford, or access basic eye exams and a pair of glasses. According to the Brien Holden Vision Institute, almost 75 percent of all vision impairments can be prevented or cured with proper access to preventative eye care and treatment.
Yehuda Shmidman, CEO of Sequential Brands Group, the owner of the Revo brand, comments, “Revo’s pioneering lens technology has always put eye health as a central focus and Bono’s new collection is no exception. Our partnership with Bono and the Brien Holden Vision Institute supercharges our efforts and will help reach more people, in more places, much faster.”
A leader in expanding access to eye care in the developing world, Brien Holden Vision Institute will use the funds to provide eye care services, including eye tests and prescription glasses, and to build sustainable eye care services where they currently do not exist by training local people to provide eye care and detect eye diseases.
“Most of us take basic eye exams for granted but millions of people around the world cannot access or afford them,” says Kovin Naidoo, CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute. “We are committed to changing that.”
“The scope of the problem is huge, but the path to progress is also in plain sight. We know we can end vision impairment and unnecessary blindness for millions of people. We also know that you can help,” says Bono in the video.
ABOUT THE SUNGLASSES
The Vision over Visibility collection features Revo’s pioneering lens technology and includes five frame styles inspired by Bono. Each style will retail for $249 USD and are available online at Revo.com and specialty, optical and sporting goods stores around the world. For further information, visit www.revo.com/visionovervisibility
ABOUT REVO
Founded in 1985, Revo quickly became a global performance eyewear brand known as the leader in polarized lens technology. Revo sunglasses were first created by utilizing lens technology developed by NASA as solar protection for satellites. Nearly three decades later, Revo continues to build on its rich tradition of technology and innovation by offering the clearest and most advanced high-contrast polarized eyewear in the world. Revo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sequential Brands Group Inc. and is manufactured under trademark license by B. Robinson, a leading manufacturer and distributor of luxury eyewear. Visit www.revo.com
ABOUT SEQUENTIAL BRANDS GROUP, INC.
Sequential Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SQBG) owns, promotes, markets, and licenses a portfolio of consumer brands in the fashion, active and lifestyle categories. Sequential seeks to ensure that its brands continue to thrive and grow by employing strong brand management, design and marketing teams. Sequential has licensed and intends to license its brands in a variety of consumer categories to retailers, wholesalers and distributors in the United States and around the world.
For more information, please visit Sequential’s corporate website at: www.sequentialbrandsgroup.com. To inquire about licensing opportunities, please email: newbusiness@sbg-ny.com
ABOUT BRIEN HOLDEN VISION INSTITUTE
Brien Holden Vision Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing creative and advanced solutions to ensure the provision of vision for everyone, everywhere.
The Institute’s mission includes developing new solutions for vision care, especially refractive error and early disease detection, and to eliminate vision impairment and avoidable blindness, thereby raising the quality of life for all people, everywhere and helping to reduce disability and poverty for those in need. www.brienholdenvision.org
