Dick Frizzell’s specs with soul sell out in record time

Media Release

16 December 2016

Dick Frizzell’s specs with soul sell out in record time

New Zealand gets behind artist’s limited edition frames to pay for life-altering surgery equipment in the Pacific

After only six weeks, the limited edition glasses designed by iconic New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell to raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ have sold out.

Exclusive to Specsavers stores nationwide, the sale of each unisex frame has seen a $25 donation to The Foundation’s Pacific Outreach team and will enable someone blinded by cataracts to see.

“I am thrilled that the glasses have sold out in record time. Thanks to New Zealand, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ and Specsavers, we will make a real difference to so many lives in the Pacific,” says Dick Frizzell.

The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ Executive Director, Andrew Bell, is thankful to the many Kiwis who purchased the specs with soul and says the money raised has gone towards cataract kits that include the vital components needed for cataract surgery.

“Without these kits, the surgery cannot be completed. Contained within the kits is the intraocular lens, consumables such as bandages and anaesthetic, and pre and post-operative medications,” says Andrew Bell.

Specsavers NZ Retail Director, Brendan Thompson, says Specsavers has been a proud partner of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ for many years and on top of the limited edition Dick Frizzell frame, its stores have donated more than $100,000 through the Specsavers Community Program which sees a portion of all glasses sales being given to the charity.

“It’s fantastic to think of the amount of people whose cataracts have been removed and can now see thanks to our support of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ. It is something our stores and customers can be very proud of,” adds Brendan Thompson.

Frizzell is one of New Zealand's most well-known artists and has created some of this country's most recognised artworks. His ‘Woodgrain’ print, which was featured on the limited edition frame, was designed 27 years ago and has been used in multiple mediums including home furnishings and on a ceramic jug where it first appeared. Frizzell says before his partnership with Specsavers, the print had never been used on anything as complex as glasses.

-ENDS-

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