Industry Commits $2.2 M to Vitamin Angels at Expo Event

BALTIMORE— More than 300 natural products industry members attended the Vitamin Angels “Celebration of Angels” fundraising dinner during Natural Products Expo East in September, which raised $1 million in cash contributions and vitamin A and anti-parasitic product donations for the organization’s Operation 20/20 campaign. An additional $1.2 million was donated in other nutritional products for use in additional programs funded by the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based nonprofit group.

Operation 20/20 was launched with the goal of eradicating childhood blindness caused by vitamin A deficiency worldwide by the year 2020. “Vitamin A supplementation is proven to be a contributing factor to the dramatic decrease in worldwide deaths among children under the age of five,” said Howard Schiffer, executive director of Vitamin Angels (www.VitaminAngels.org). “Just 25 cents provides a child with the two high-dose vitamin A capsules they need each year to prevent blindness.” Operation 20/20 successfully prevented 5.5 million children from going blind from lack of vitamin A in 16 countries around the world in 2007; in 2008, Operation 20/20 is expected to reach 7.5 million children.

In additional news, Vitamin Shoppe raised more than $175,000 in September to support Vitamin Angels’ Operation 20/20. The company took cash donations for Operation 20/20 as part of its 30th Anniversary Celebration, and, according to CEO Tom Tolworthy, “From our customer Support Center in North Bergen to our stores across the country, our employees and customers embraced this cause to help children.” Schiffer added: “The Vitamin Shoppe’s contribution will be life changing for thousands of at-risk children. We’re grateful for their partnership in helping us fight this global malnutrition epidemic to save the lives of children around the world.”

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