Foster Grant Sunglasses Celebrates 80 Years This Summer Company Credited with the Birth of American Sunglasses
FGX International (NASDAQ: FGXI), a leading eyewear designer and marketer, will celebrate 80 years of selling Foster Grant sunglasses this summer. Raquel Welch, a Hollywood icon who first became affiliated with the brand by starring in the 60’s advertising campaign returns as a spokesperson for the 80th anniversary celebration. She will help support Foster Grant’s anniversary and related charitable efforts on TV, radio and Internet promotions beginning the week of July 20th.
Foster Grant’s rich, storied history dates to 1929, when Sam Foster introduced sunglasses to America by selling the first pair on the Atlantic City boardwalk. In the 1960’s, Foster Grant catapulted to fame with an advertising campaign, “Who’s That Behind Those Foster Grants?,” featuring iconic Hollywood celebrities such as Raquel Welch, Anthony Quinn and Mia Farrow. Pop and film stars quickly adopted the habit of wearing sunglasses as part of their image – and the masses immediately followed. Thus began the correlation between wearing sunglasses and “being cool.” Sunglasses became a popular culture fashion icon and are today synonymous with being stylish and chic.
As part of the anniversary, Foster Grant will donate proceeds from celebrity signed Foster Grant sunglasses to two organizations to help underprivileged American children, Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services Organization, a charity Raquel Welch personally supports, and The Hoop-A-Paluza Foundation. Charity Folks (www.charityfolks.com) will be hosting the online charity auction for two weeks, beginning July 20th. Celebrities who have autographed Foster Grant sunglasses include Paula Abdul, Raquel Welch, AnnaLynne McCord and Rachael Ray, among others. The direct link to the auction is www.charityfolks.com/fostergrant.
Foster Grant has also designed a limited edition 80th Anniversary collection, representing styles from the past 80 years. The limited edition styles will be sold on www.fostergrant.com, beginning July 20th, with a portion of proceeds to benefit Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services and The Hoop-A-Paluza Foundation.
Foster Grant has signed American icon Raquel Welch to kick-off its 2009 campaign. Welch was one of the stars of the famed, groundbreaking “Who’s That Behind Those Foster Grants?” ad campaign in the ‘60’s, so her star turn in the new television commercials for the brand’s reading glasses and sunglasses collections is rooted in the company’s authentic history and reinforces its positioning as a fashion brand.
Foster Grant remains the largest distributor of sunglasses in the world and continues to create affordable, fashionable, and trend-right styles. Women’s Wear Daily named Foster Grant one of the top 100 most recognizable brands in prior years, and Advertising Age named “Who’s That Behind Those Foster Grants?” one of the top 100 advertising campaigns of all time.
About FGX International
FGX International is a leading designer and marketer of non-prescription reading glasses and sunglasses with a portfolio of established, well-recognized brands including Foster Grant, Magnivision, Anarchy, Angel, Gargoyles, Solar Shields and PolarEyes. FGXI also holds licenses for the Ironman, Levi Strauss Signature, Field & Stream, Body Glove and C9 by Champion brands. Based in Smithfield, Rhode Island, FGX International has approximately 500 full-time employees. Additional offices are located in New York, San Luis Obispo, Toronto, Stoke-on-Trent, England, Mexico City and Shenzhen, China.
About Optimist Youth Home & Family Services
Since 1906, Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services, a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, has become one of the largest residential treatment programs serving high-risk youth in California. Our nationally accredited agency assists 500 children and their families each day with programs that include: residential treatment services for 99 boys (ages 12-18) on its main campus; independent living skill training; community based group homes (two homes are dedicated to girls); a non-public, co-ed special education high school; foster family care and adoptions; transitional housing; family finding and after-care services. We can proudly say that 85% of the youth emancipating from Optimist make a successful transition to life in the community during the first year following their 18th birthday. With child abuse, child neglect, and juvenile crime constantly on the rise, the services of our agency become more vital everyday.
About The Hoop-A-Paluza Foundation
The Hoop-A-Paluza Foundation provides support to local charitable organizations that focus on promoting the health and well being of children in New Jersey and New York. Hoop-A-Paluza also aims to instill philanthropy in children through programs that involve children in fundraising and volunteerism, while exposing them to different charities, the services they provide and the people they serve. Hoop-A-Paluza awards several grants to a variety of children-focused organizations each year. Since its founding in 2002, Hoop-A-Paluza has raised over $1.9 million to support children's charities in the NJ/NY area.
About Charity Folks
Charity Folks is the leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, corporate cause-marketing campaigns and celebrity-driven charity initiatives. Managing thousands of successful charity auctions since its 2005 inception, Charity Folks has raised more than $10 million for nonprofit organizations around the world, while offering consumers highly coveted auction lots donated by today’s hottest high-profile personalities and top-tier brands.
