Essilor sponsors annual cycling fundraiser
The lens manufacturer is backing this year’s Cycling for Sight
24 August 2016
Lens manufacturer Essilor has been confirmed as the sponsor of this year’s Cycling for Sight charity initiative.
Cycling for Sight was launched by a trio of undergraduates from the University of Bradford in 2011. In its inaugural year, the students cycled hundreds of miles between the then eight UK-based optometry departments.
Having grown year on year, the event calls on the profession to take to their bikes to raise funds for Vision Aid Overseas (VAO) and Optometry Giving Sight. Practitioners who wish to take part in this year’s challenge are encouraged to cycle as little or as much as they wish between now and World Sight Day (13 October).
Essilor sponsors the fundraising initiative, which is hosted by VAO, with a £5000 donation – enough to provide eye care and spectacles to 1000 children and adults living in Africa.
Speaking about the sponsorship, Essilor’s director of corporate social responsibility, Nigel Corbett, said: “Essilor’s mission is improving living by improving sight and we are committed to our partnership with Vision Aid Overseas to help bring eye care solutions and services to the children and adults who need our support around the world.”
Also getting involved in the initiative, five Essilor employees will take part in the annual cycling event organised by CET provider Eyecare. They will cover routes of 28km, 72km and 140km across the Lake District on Sunday (28 August).
Essilor’s Elliot Millard, who will be taking part in the event, said: “By participating in the Cycling for Sight Challenge it make you think of how something as necessary as an eye examination and spectacles are not available to so many people. Cycling for Sight will help raise money and potentially have a very significant impact on the work done by VAO.”
For more information, visit VAO’s website.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in