CooperVision Helps Teens Gear Up for Success On and Off the Field with Gear Up Grants

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- CooperVision has launched an exciting new program that will give away $25,000 in grants to help ensure that community teams, athletes and performers have what's necessary to be at the top of their game, from the right sports equipment to CooperVision contact lenses.

Contact Sports is an education and community outreach program to help teens gear up for sports and teach them about the relationship between healthy vision and sports performance.  Ten $2,500 Gear Up Grants will be awarded to teams, individual athletes or performers ages 13-19. Grant submissions will be accepted until June 25 online at www.mycontactsports.com. Finalists will be announced in July and then teams, friends and family can vote for the final winners.

CooperVision has teamed up with BMX biking phenom and Dew Tour winner Daniel Dhers and gold-medal-winning soccer star Heather O'Reilly to help spread the word to teens. The athletes have been sharing their experiences on how switching to contact lenses helped give them the competitive edge they need to perform their best – not only enhancing their vision, but also boosting their confidence levels.

Less than half of teens who need vision correction are currently wearing contact lenses. For active teens who are constantly on the go or for those who want to put their "game face" on, contact lenses typically offer a safe, healthy and comfortable choice for correcting eyesight.

"We believe that CooperVision contact lenses can be part of the essential gear teens need to succeed and we look forward to helping teams get the gear they need with our ten grants," said Janice Gaub, senior director of Marketing, Internet and Social Media at CooperVision.

To learn more about the relationship between healthy vision and sports performance and to apply for a Gear Up Grant, visit www.mycontactsports.com today. Life is a contact sport, gear up!

About CooperVision

CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE: COO), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. Dedicated to enhancing the contact lens experience for practitioners and patients, CooperVision specializes in lenses for astigmatism, presbyopia, and ocular dryness. CooperVision manufactures a full array of monthly, two-week, and daily disposable contact lenses featuring advanced materials and optics. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

SOURCE CooperVision