Reactive dyes for contact lenses

A method for preparing a polymerizable monomer-dye compound, comprising:

• combining a monomer, a reactive dye, and base under substantially anhydrous reaction conditions to form a reaction product comprising the monomer-dye compound, wherein the monomer comprises a pendant reactive group that covalently links to the reactive dye during the reaction to form the polymerizable monomer-dye compound, wherein the pendant reactive group is a hydroxyl group, an amino group, or a sulthydryl group that forms an ether linkage, amino linkage, or thioether linkage, respectively, between the monomer and the dye.