CooperVision Inc. Helps the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CooperVision, a Rochester area company, announced today that in conjunction with achieving record global product sales in 2011, its Rochester area employees are getting the chance to donate to a local charity of their choice. A corporate event being held today at the Rochester Convention Center will include CooperVision’s local employees and representatives from the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), the recipient of CooperVision’s donation. Local area CooperVision employees were responsible for selecting a charity and they chose ABVI because of their local efforts to empower people who are blind or visually impaired.

“I’m thrilled that our Rochester area employees selected ABVI to receive a donation in their honor. ABVI provides a valuable and unique service that tightly aligns with our dedication to helping improve the way people see each day. On behalf of the over 1,200 CooperVision employees in the Rochester area, I am honored to present ABVI with a check for $30,000,” remarked CooperVision president, John Weber.

“At ABVI we empower people with significant vision loss to see and do great things. Webelieve that people who are blind or visually impaired can contribute to their families and communities in meaningful ways,” said A. Gidget Hopf, the president and chief executive officer of ABVI. “We are extremely thankful for this thoughtful gift from CooperVision as it enables our efforts to make a difference in people’s lives every day.”

CooperVision also supports global philanthropic organizations like Optometry Giving Sight, the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error -- the need for an eye exam and a pair of glasses. Thanks to corporate sponsors like CooperVision, Optometry Giving Sight guarantees that 85% of donations from optometrists, opticians, their practices, staff and patients goes directly to give sight to people in need.

About CooperVision

CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and daily disposable contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges; such as astigmatism, presbyopia and ocular dryness; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, thereby creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

About the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), founded in 1911, is a premier provider of vision rehabilitation services to people who are blind or visually impaired throughout the Greater Rochester, Finger Lakes, and Southern Tier areas of New York State. As part of its mission-focused work, ABVI, empowers people with vision loss to engage in fulfilling careers by offering a variety of entrepreneurial businesses, including a state-of-the-art contact center, manufacturing and fulfillment services, and food service and catering. ABVI’s goal is to help individuals discover the happiness that exists after a diagnosis of significant visual impairment or blindness. We do this in two ways. Our vision rehabilitation services are designed from a Person-Centered approach to assist people in adapting everyday activities. And we provide the opportunity through training and skill development to engage in meaningful work. To learn more, please visit http://www.seegreatthings.com.

SOURCE CooperVision

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