NEW YORK, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- FGX International (NASDAQ:FGXI), a leading eyewear designer and marketer, celebrates 80 years of selling Foster Grant sunglasses. Raquel Welch, a Hollywood icon who first became affiliated with the brand by starring in the '60s advertising campaign returns as a spokesperson for the 80th anniversary. She will help support the anniversary and related charitable efforts on TV, radio and Internet promotions beginning the week of July 20th. See video from FGX International at: http://inr.mediaseed.tv/FosterGrant_36638/ Foster Grant's rich, storied history dates to 1929, when Sam Foster introduced sunglasses to America by selling the first pair on the Atlantic City boardwalk. In the 1960s, Foster Grant catapulted to fame with an advertising campaign, "Who's That Behind Those Foster Grants?," featuring iconic Hollywood celebrities like Raquel Welch, Anthony Quinn and Mia Farrow. Pop and film stars quickly adopted the habit of wearing sunglasses as part of their image - and the masses immediately followed. Sunglasses became part of popular culture fashion and are today synonymous with being stylish and chic. As part of the anniversary, Foster Grant will donate proceeds from celebrity signed Foster Grant sunglasses to two organizations to help underprivileged American children, Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services Organization, a charity Raquel Welch personally supports, and The Hoop-A-Paluza Foundation. Charity Folks (http://www.charityfolks.com/) will be hosting the online auction for two weeks, beginning July 20th. Celebrities who have autographed Foster Grant sunglasses include Paula Abdul, Nicole Richie, Dakota Fanning, Raquel Welch, AnnaLynne McCord and Rachael Ray, among others. The direct link to the auction is http://www.charityfolks.com/fostergrant . Foster Grant has also designed a limited edition 80th Anniversary collection, representing styles from the past 80 years. The limited edition styles will be sold on http://www.fostergrant.com/, beginning July 20th, with a portion of proceeds to benefit Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services and The Hoop-A-Paluza Foundation. Foster Grant remains the largest distributor of sunglasses in the world and continues to create affordable, fashionable styles. Women's Wear Daily named Foster Grant one of the top 100 most recognizable brands in prior years, and Advertising Age named "Who's That Behind Those Foster Grants?" one of the top 100 advertising campaigns of all time. Registered journalists can access video, audio, text, graphics and photos for free and unrestricted use at http://www.mediaseed.tv/. 07NY09-0049 DATASOURCE: Medialink; FGX International CONTACT: Medialink, New York, +1-888-560-5578, Web Site: http://inr.mediaseed.tv/FosterGrant_36638/

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