MORE THAN 500,000 CHILDREN SAVED
$175,OOO donated to Vitamin Angels’
Operation 20/20
in one month by the Vitamin Shoppe
Santa Barbara, CA (October 31, 2007) – More than half a million children will be spared from going blind thanks to the money raised at the Vitamin Shoppe for Vitamin Angels’ Operation 20/20 campaign in September.
“Everyone at The Vitamin Shoppe is pleased to be able to help so many children through Vitamin Angels' Operation 20/20,” said Tom Tolworthy, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe. “From our customer Support Center in North Bergen to our stores across the country, our employees and customers embraced this cause to help children. With this donation, more than half a million children will be able to see.”
One high-dose vitamin A capsule, given to a child twice a year for four years, can prevent that child from going blind due to vitamin A deficiency (VAD). The cost to bring this much needed supplement to a child is only 25 cents a year.
VAD affects more than 140 million children annually and of those children, up to one-half million will go blind. The true tragedy is that one-half of those who do go blind will die within 12 months from opportunistic infections and associated diseases.
To help children receive these much needed doses of vitamin A, The Vitamin Shoppe began accepting cash donations on behalf of Vitamin Angels in support of their campaign, Operation20/20. Vitamin Angels is committed to eradicating childhood blindness caused by VAD on the planet by the year 2020. Operation 20/20 is the first major step in this global campaign, which launched this year in 16 countries.
“The Vitamin Shoppe’s contribution will be life changing for thousands of at-risk children,” says Howard Schiffer, executive director of the nonprofit Vitamin Angels. “We’re grateful for their partnership in helping us fight this global malnutrition epidemic to save the lives of children around the world.”
Vitamin Shoppe’s 30th Anniversary Celebration supported the elimination of childhood blindness caused by VAD through Operation 20/20.
About Vitamin Shoppe Industries, Inc.
Vitamin Shoppe is a leading specialty retailer and direct marketer of nutritional products based in North Bergen, New Jersey. The Company sells vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, herbs, sports nutrition formulas, homeopathic remedies, and other health and beauty aids to customers located primarily in the United States. The company carries national brand products as well as exclusive products under The Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, MD Select, and VS Basics proprietary brands. The Vitamin Shoppe conducts business through more than 330 company-owned retail stores, national mail order catalogs, and two websites, www.vitaminshoppe.com and www.Bodytech.com.
About Vitamin Angels
Vitamin Angels is the only nonprofit in existence dedicated to eradicating vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness. Since 1994, Vitamin Angels has distributed over 350 million vitamins and other supplements in 82 countries worldwide. To learn more about Vitamin Angels and Operation 20/20 visit www.VitaminAngels.org.