District 32A -

WHAT LIONS DO

Globally, Lions clubs are known for their commitment to blindness prevention.

Lions clubs serve people throughout the world. Lions have established the majority of eye banks worldwide, funded groundbreaking research on leading causes of blindness, organized eyeglass recycling efforts and helped hundreds of thousands of visually impaired people develop the skills to live productive lives.

Lions Clubs were founded in Chicago, in 1917, by businessman Melvin Jones. Since its inception, Lions Clubs International has been dedicated to helping those less fortunate in their communities and around the world. In 1925, Helen Keller challenged the members to be "knights of the blind." "We Serve" became the association's official motto in 1954.

Today, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club association with 1.4 million men and women members in more than 44,000 clubs located in 186 countries and geographical areas. There are 446,000 US Lions in over 13,000 clubs.

Lions' activities are far reaching including such areas as:

Sight conservation and work with the visually impaired including Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Hearing conservation and work with the hearing impaired.

Citizenship, educational, health, and social services.

Youth programs including drug education and prevention, community outreach, and volunteer programs.

Diabetes detection and research.

Work for international cooperation and understanding including international youth camps and youth exchange programs.

Grants to Habitat for Humanity.

Through the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) grants of millions of dollars each year go to provide worldwide humanitarian assistance. LCIF has funded 82 eye clinics and hospitals, provided more than 2.5 million cataract surgeries, trained 3000 ophthalmic personnel, and treated 8 million persons annually.

Lions Clubs came to South Carolina in 1922, first to Columbia, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Greenville, and Anderson. Today there are over 125 clubs in the state with over 5000 members.

The South Carolina state Lions organization supports local clubs and provides statewide services to South Carolina citizens. It has several elements: The South Carolina Lions Eye Bank, Inc., South Carolina Lions, Inc., and South Carolina Lions Foundation, Inc. The South Carolina Lions Eye Bank is charged with procuring, processing, and distributing safe, viable eye tissue for transplant, research, and education. South Carolina Lions, Inc. helps pay for eye surgery beyond the capacity of local clubs, operates the Mobile Health Screening Unit which provides vision testing, glaucoma screening, hearing testing and blood pressure checks free of charge, and helps support two camps for blind children (Camp Lions Den at Clemson and Camp Leo at Hilton Head). The South Carolina Lions Eye Research Fund at the Medical University of South Carolina's Storm Eye Institute supports extensive eye research. South Carolina Lions have served a significant role in the development and growth of the Storm Eye Institute which has become a preeminent eye research and care facility in the world.

Compiled by Steve Weber webmaster for District 32-C

@ 2002 District 32A
Last Update: 10/18/2005.
Contact: Bob Spalding - Webmaster