SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs has donated reading eyeglasses to health care relief group Medical Teams International for distribution in impoverished communities in 18 countries.
The Seattle-area drug chain said Tuesday that it donated more than 19,500 reading glasses, including magnifying glasses and magnifiers, to support Medical Team International’s outreach to seniors and other age groups in Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Balkans.
Bartell noted that the donation was made possible through the chain’s long-standing vendor relationship with eyewear maker Foster Grant.
Instead of returning older inventory from Bartell stores to the manufacturer, those products were made available for donation.
"We’re proud to make the donations to support Medical Teams International’s mission of helping those in need," Jean Bartell Barber, vice chairman and treasurer of Bartell Drugs, said in a statement. "This is a way for us to show our support for a program that is dependent upon donations."
Medical Teams International delivers medical and dental care and provides humanitarian aid and other programs to assist people in need around the world.
"We are enormously grateful for the generosity of Bartell Drugs and their contribution of eyeglasses," commented Jeff Pinneo, chief executive officer of Medical Teams International. "This gift will not only improve sight, but improve the lives of people in need in some of the most distressed regions in the world."
