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 Each year hundreds of Lions clubs around the world hold vision screenings, community education programs, eyeglass collections and other special projects in October as part of World Sight Day.
Lions World Sight Day was created in 1998 to spotlight the importance of eradicating preventable blindness and improving sight. An increasing number of Lions clubs are using this occasion to collect eyeglasses, conduct vision and diabetes screenings and plan educational programs to inform their communities about the importance of sight and diseases such as diabetes that can impact sight.
World Sight Day 2008 held in Arizona, USA
The 2008 international event was held in Arizona October 15-17, 2008. Lions International President Albert Brandel and Dr. Maureen Murphy presided over the events. Lions in Arizona and New Mexico held vision screenings in the town of Window Rock on the Navajo reservation to test for glaucoma, diabetic eye diseases and other eye diseases, and provide glasses to those who need them. More than 500 people were screened and Joe Shirley, President of the Navajo Nation, recognized the event. Lions also conducted diabetes screenings at the Lions Vision Center in Phoenix, the capital of Arizona. A glaucoma screening was held in El Mirage, just outside of Phoenix, in conjunction with the University of Arizona in Tucson. The activities were featured in the Arizona Republic and Navajo Times newspapers.
Lions Participate Globally
Lions around the world also held sight activities throughout October to mark Lions World Sight Day. Lions in Juneau, Alaska, partnered with local schools to provide vision screenings for children. The Barrie South Lions Club in Ontario, Canada, held an eyeglass collection at a community center and distributed information on eye health.
Get Involved
Lions are encouraged to plan events on Lions World Sight Day or sometime during the month of October to coincide with the event.
There are a number of resources that will help. For suggestions about what your club can do to mark Lions World Sight Day, download The Lions World Sight Day Activity Guide. To order new Lions Eye Health Program material, click here. For information about recycling eyeglasses, click here.
Get Involved
Is your club planning an activity? Activities that local clubs can do include:
- Partnering with local eye care professionals or organizations to conduct vision, glaucoma and cataract screenings
- Offering to work with local schools or preschools on vision screenings or providing information about eye health to students
- Conducting a diabetes screening and awareness program in conjunction with a local
- Distributing Lions Eye Health Program material at a health fair, library or community center
- Launching or expanding a community-wide eyeglass recycling program
Exemplifying "We Serve"- Lions World Sight Day 2007
The 2007 international event was held in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Mahendra Amarasuriya presided over the events that will include cataract surgeries at the Lions Gift of Sight Hospital and the Sight First Hospital Hendala outside Colombo. A seminar on childhood blindness, a public meeting on the importance of preserving and restoring sight, a parade and other events marked the occasion, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of Lions clubs in Sri Lanka. |
