LensCrafters 2006 Annual Report Download - page 46

>46 | ANNUAL REPORT 2006
The Foundation’s original goal of helping one million people by 2003 was achieved ahead of schedule
in 1999, when a mobile facility in Oregon gave a pair of eyeglasses to a six-year-old girl named
Jessica. In 2001, in Bolivia, Julia became the two millionth person to receive eye care from Give the
Gift of Sight. The three millionth person to receive help was Gabriel, a boy in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in
2003. In 2005, Give the Gift of Sight helped its four millionth recipient, a 14-year-old girl at the Fresh
Air Fund Camp in Fishkill, New York. In October 2006, the five millionth recipient, LaVonte, an 11-year-
old boy from a Chicago Public School, received eye care during the course of a mission in the city of
Chicago. In the same year, a third recycling center in the United States was opened.
Several other important achievements in 2006 were: in Mexico, there have been 35 missions since
1994, reaching 615,291 people; in China there have been two missions since 1999, involving 24,000
people; and in Cambodia, there have been two missions since 2005, benefiting 53,000 people. In
2007, the vision of Gift of Sight is 20/20: to deliver the gift of sight on 20 international missions and
in 20 weeks of North American missions.
INTEGRATION
Give the Gift of Sight ties together Luxottica Group associates across the globe. Associates from
Italy and elsewhere in Europe, Australia, China and North America work together,through recycling
efforts and international mission teams, toward a common goal. During this process, associates get
to know one another and learn to work together.This is an integrating influence on the different
company and country cultures brought into the Group through acquisitions of companies.
RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
Meeting people from different parts of the world and visiting different countries provide experiences
that training courses do not offer. People learn to recognize and appreciate new languages, foods,
customs and unusual situations. They form relationships and learn that diversity may unite rather
than divide. These missions, particularly the international ones, require intense teamwork to
optimize the use of resources and time and reach as many people as possible.
2006
In 2006, Give the Gift of Sight provided care to 753,207 people worldwide, up 13% from 2005. Over
404,000 people received eye exams or a pair of recycled eyeglasses during the year’s 16 missions:
Mexico (six missions), Panama (one), Romania (one), Ecuador (one), China (one), Honduras (two),
Paraguay (two), Mali (one, the first in Africa, for 29,000 people) and Cambodia (one). In North
America, care was provided to 349,144 people: 72,493 were in stores and with discount vouchers
(free or heavily-discounted eyeglasses), 207,883 people were helped in nurseries, schools and
health care fairs, 12,702 people were examined in Vision Vans, 19,876 were helped during missions,
36,190 people were assisted on Hometown Days and 998,340 pairs of glasses were recycled.
LOOKING AHEAD
The goal of the 2007 program is to help 967,000 people through missions in North America and
around the world and to recycle 1,188,000 pairs of prescription and sun glasses.
COMMUNITY I-CARE
Alongside Give the Gift of Sight, Luxottica Group is engaged, through its Asia-Pacific retail structure,
in the Community I-Care program, which has been in Australia since 2003 and in New Zealand,