Solar eclipse glasses support St. Jude
There's now such a thing as St. Jude solar eclipse glasses.
A Bartlett company that makes eye-protecting solar eclipse, 3-D and other specialty glasses is producing a 10-pack of solar eclipse glasses decorated with art inspired by St. Jude patients.
American Paper Optics will donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital half, or $10, of the $20 it receives for each 10-pack it sells.
The promotion comes two months before a rare phenomenon sweeps across the continental U.S. A total solar eclipse will be experienced along a 70-mile swath that moves through 12 states on Aug. 21. That last time that happened was nearly 100 years ago.
American Paper Optics has been gearing up for sales. It usually employs about 35 people but nearly 80 work there now.
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"It's nuts right now,'' John Jerit, president and chief executive, said Wednesday. "We sold over 2 million yesterday. Had an order for NASA. We sold to a telescope company who is taking them into Kroger stores in mid-July. We're working on Lowe's displays. We're building the displays now, which includes 600 glasses per store.''
Walmart will buy most of the retail glasses.
The firm had hoped to reach 100 million pairs of glasses for the big event but will likely fall short. Sales had reached nearly 40 million pairs as of this week, Jerit said.
"The retail sales have been good,'' Jerit said. As for promotions by big companies that could put their logos on glasses, he said, "I just couldn't get (companies like) Coke or Pepsi or Starbucks to pay attention.''
The St. Jude promotion is designed to help the hospital and raise awareness of the total eclipse.
The cardboard frames are designed to be colored in, letting children fashion their own pair. The glasses are printed with instructions and best safety practices.
"When we received the artwork, we simply translated St. Jude's vision into an actual pair of glasses that any child or adult can use to safely watch the upcoming eclipse,'' Jerit said.
For more information or to buy the St. Jude-theme glasses, go to eclipseglasses.com and put "St. Jude'' in the search field.
Viewers within the 70-mile-wide path of totality — the closest it comes to Memphis is at Nashville — will need eye protection for the partial phases, but can view the few moments of totality without them. Viewers outside the path of totality will need protection the entire time while looking at the sun.