Athletes at Special Olympics now bring home glasses and sports goggles as well as medals, thanks to LCIF. The benefits of participation now go way beyond boosting self-esteem: it saves some competitors from an entirely new disability--blindness.

Owing to a partnership with LCIF, athletes at select Special Olympics games receive free eye exams, and, if needed, free glasses and sports goggles on the spot.  

They also are checked for glaucoma and other eye diseases. The screenings have resulted in better vision in a chronically underserved population and have prevented blindness through early detection of disease.

 LCIF awarded a three-year grant of US $3.3 million in 2001 for the Special Olympics/Lions Opening Eyes program. Opening Eyes vision screenings occur at select Special Olympics sporting events worldwide. In the first year of the partnership, screenings were held at 26 events in the United States and at eight competitions abroad.

Lions play a crucial volunteer role. They help with registration, color vision testing, visual acuity tests and distribution of glasses and protective sports goggles. Lions also conduct some of the actual vision tests. Over half the optometrists donating their time at a screening in Michigan were Lions.

Special Olympics athletes are in particular need of eye testing. Research showed that 68 percent had no eye exam in three years, 37 percent needed glasses and 18 percent wore clinically incorrect glasses.

Special Olympics was founded 30 years ago by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to provide sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with mental retardation. LCIF is a most welcome partner in its mission. "We are honored to be chosen as one of the causes of the Lions Club International Foundation," said Special Olympics President and CEO Timothy Shriver. "We are grateful for the resources and the volunteers Lions will provide. Together, we can inspire greatness and help Special Olympics athletes optimize their abilities."

The Opening Eyes program was a Core 4 grant, given to projects that preserve sight, combat disability, promote health or serve youth. Opening Eyes has its eye on the future. The program will grow to 47 sites in 2002, including needy populations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The program also will teach professors and optometry students how to better care for those with mental retardation, ensuring that the fundamental objectives of the grant are fulfilled long after the money is gone.