Specs Gives Back

Specs is proud to be a Wichita-born and raised company. We have thrived in this town and we want to give back to the city that has always been there for us. Whether it be volunteering during events, water donation, sponsorship donations, or anything else that comes up, Specs is there to give back. 

Giving Back

“In the beginning, we rarely turned down a request for a donation item,” said Monte. “We showed up to events, connected with new friends and customers. Growing our business while giving back to the community was fun. It’s hard to put a dollar value on donations, but over the last three years we estimate it to be around $200,000.” Time, value, donated merchandise for charity auctions, golf tournaments, and other fundraisers; Specs was thrilled to participate. 

Around 2004, Specs discovered that, while people do not necessarily like to be advertised to, they don’t mind cold bottled water that happens to have a logo on it. Specs-labeled water bottles soon found their way into the hands of thirsty charity race runners, walkers and golfers, responsible young prom-goers, Chamber patrons, and just generally nice people everywhere. From 2013-2016, Specs donated over 100,000 bottles of water into the community.

Smart Specs

Because kids like to see too, Smart Specs, an initiative to get involved in helping schools, quickly took root in the new culture. In the Circle District, a wildly popular program put free sunglasses or eyeglasses in the hands of 6th graders who exceeded their reading goals. Parents and teachers agreed; the kids were incentivized. 

“Kids that hated to read in the past wouldn’t put down their books – they wanted new glasses?” – An amazed teacher. The eyewear as prize-wear worked again in the Andover school system, and for the Derby 6th grade winners of a video production contest. Kids love Smart Specs and staff members love the excitement when the enterprising young student comes to pick out their new eyewear. In the past 3 years, Specs is proud to have donated nearly 400 pairs of eyewear to these programs. 

In 2014, Specs had a great idea and partnered with Maize South High School for a food drive; a pair of free Oakley sunglasses for each homeroom student that brought the most food. School administrators liked the idea, the students LOVED the idea, and when the students brought in over 10,000 pounds of food, the Kansas Food Bank was pretty jazzed too.