Real Kids Shades™ honored by Prevent Blindness America as Star Pupils Partner

Urban Kidz Accessory Awarded Top Honor 

Concord, MA. - Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, announced that Real Kids Shades (RKS) has been honored as one of the recipients of the Star Pupils™ Inaugural Partner Award, along with The Abbott Fund, Transitions, Healthy Sight for Life Fund, and VisionDirect.com.  The award was presented in recognition of the outstanding support that each company provided to launch Star Pupils, the new children’s eye health program from Prevent Blindness America.

Real Kids Shades has teamed up with Prevent Blindness America since 2009 to support their ongoing efforts to inform and educate parents about the need to protect their children’s vision in order to be successful in school and at play.  In the spirit of this collaboration, RKS designed a pair of Star Pupils-branded infant sunglasses and pledged that 20 percent of the proceeds from every purchase will be donated to the Star Pupils’ efforts.  A main component of the program is education on eye safety, including UV protection.

“We know that many parents are not well-informed about how critical quality UV protection is relative to their children’s vision,” comments Lisa Medora, VP of Marketing, RKS.  “By teaming up with Prevent Blindness America, the leading consumer eye health advocate, we are now able to help educate parents on the importance of UV protection as well as provide much-needed funds to support such an important program.”

“Thanks to the ongoing support of such wonderful partners like RKS, we are able to continue our efforts to help ensure that every child has the opportunity to enjoy a lifetime of healthy vision,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America. 

“We want to thank RKS for their support of Star Pupils and their dedication to children’s vision programs.”

Even though every parent has been warned about the harmful effects of UV rays, and 82 percent of parents use sunscreen to protect their children’s skin, only 32 percent take action to protect their children’s eyes.  This is especially dangerous because children’s eyes are

more vulnerable to sun damage than those of adults.  Long-term UVA/UVB exposure has long been linked to adverse effects such as the development of cataracts, sun burning of the eyes, known as photokeratitis and macular degeneration, which scientists now believe is a leading cause of blindness in adults. 

But with Real Kids Shades, it is now easier than ever for parents to quickly and thoroughly shield their children’s eyes from what could turn into a lifetime of disease.  With a complete line of sunshades that feature 100 percent protection against UVA/UVB rays along with shatterproof, impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, parents now can have the protection without the hassle.

About Real Kids Shades:

Real Kid Shades meet the strictest American, European and Australian standards in eye protection and are Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) compliant. They are also CE Certified and FDA approved for protecting children’s eyes.  To purchase the Star Pupils infant sunglasses, or to find out more about Real Kids Shades and their line of innovative children’s sunglasses, visit www.realkidshades.com. Colorful shades can be purchased at Urban Kidz!