New Video from Portland-Based Philanthropic Eyewear Maker Features Successful Hometown Eye Care Clinic for Kids
PORTLAND, Ore. (PRWEB) December 23, 2013 -- 141 Eyewear, a Portland-based philanthropic eyewear company, recently teamed up with Kaiser Permanente and the Boys & Girls Club of Salem to execute a charity eye care clinic that saw 115 kids tested and fitted for prescription eyewear. They documented the effort in a new video that shows the public how the company’s giving model works.
For months before the event, the Boys & Girls Club of Salem and Lions Club pre-screened qualified children for the Sept. 28 clinic, which ran from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m at the Boys & Girls Club of Salem. More than 115 kids were examined and measured in exam lanes staffed by volunteer Kaiser Permanente optometrists, joined by eye care professionals from Portland-area opticians that carry 141 Eyewear. Kaiser Permanente also provided exam equipment, lenses, and finishing services. 141 Eyewear donated all frames for the clinic, which was coordinated by company co-founder and optician Shu-Chu Yamaguchi. Clinic participants received their finished glasses in mid-October—a boon for families without insurance, who often cannot afford the prescription eyewear that their kids need to succeed in school.
Kyle and Shu-Chu Yamaguchi founded 141 Eyewear with the goal of improving on the traditional philanthropic eyewear model by not only donating a frame for every frame purchased, but also turning that frame into a custom-made pair of prescription eyewear for a person in need through local clinics throughout the U.S. To help fulfill that brand promise and make the growing company’s impact felt in their home community, the couple reached out locally to organizations that they knew could help make the clinic a reality.
“We’re extremely grateful to the partners—Kaiser Permanente and the Boys & Girls Club of Salem — that converged to help us pull this off,” said 141 Eyewear co-founder Shu-Chu Yamaguchi. “Our giving model is labor-intensive, but it’s all worth it when we see kids in our own community get a better look at life through one of our frames.”
The clinic coincided with the release of the new 141 Eyewear collection, now available at Portland-area Vision Essentials by Kaiser Permanente locations.
About 141 Eyewear
Portland, Oregon-based 141 Eyewear’s mission is to donate a pair of frames for every pair of fashion eyewear they sell. Donated frames are delivered to those in need via local clinics, where each recipient is examined and fitted with a new pair of eyeglasses made exactly to their prescription. 141 Eyewear offers high-quality, classically inspired eyewear for the discerning fashion consumer who wants to positively impact their community with their purchase. 141 Eyewear is currently available exclusively via retail locations in 23 states in the US, Canada, and Germany. To find out more about 141 Eyewear’s timeless designs and fresh look at philanthrocapitalism, please visit http://www.141eyewear.com.
Nate Warren, Fusion Marketing Partners, http://fusionmarketingpartners.com/, +1 720.244.4734, [email protected]
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