Area Development
Blenders Eyewear repurposed a portion of its manufacturing to make safety goggles for health workers in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic at its production center in San Diego, California.

The company said it will donate 10,000 goggles to Southern California hospitals in San Diego and Los Angeles. It is also partnering with Direct Relief, an international humanitarian aid organization, through which it will provide an additional 20,000 pairs of goggles to high-need regions in the U.S. such as New York City. In addition, five percent of all Blenders' sales throughout the month of April will go to Direct Relief.

"Our thoughts are with the doctors, nurses, and medical staff coping with patient surge and putting themselves in harm's way for the sake of the greater good," said Blenders Eyewear CEO Chase Fisher. "As a community, we all have a responsibility to flatten the curve and lower the peak of this virus."

Plans are in place to deliver 2,000 pairs to Sharp Healthcare, 3,500 to Scripps Health, 4,000 to UCLA Medical Center, and to provide an additional 500 pairs to friends and family on the frontlines, company officials said. The safety goggles are FDA-approved medical devices and will be delivered by April 15. If the need continues to grow, Blenders may produce more.

Blenders Eyewear has gained rapid popularity throughout California and West Coast beach communities since its inception in 2012 on the beaches of San Diego. The sunglasses and goggles brand has garnered international attention for its innovative approach to online and social media marketing.