A HISTORY OF THE LIONS CLUB

THE WORLD’S LARGEST SERVICE CLUB ORGANIZATION

With 46,000 clubs and 1.35 million members – the Lions are the world’s largest service club organisation. They are also one of the most effective. Members aim to help their local communities with projects that benefit those in need.
In 1917, Melvin Jones, a 38-year-old Chicago business leader, told members of his local business club they should reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of their communities and the world.

After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organisational meeting was held on June 7, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The new group took the name of one of the invited groups, the “Association of Lions Clubs,” and a national convention was held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of that year. A constitution, by-laws, objects and a code of ethics were approved.

Within three years, Lions became an international organisation. Since then, they have earned recognition for both integrity and transparency. The Lions are a well-run organisation with a steady vision, a clear mission, and a long – and proud – history.

Where do proceeds from the Lions Karoo to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge go to?

WHAT KAROO TO COAST HAS DONE AND WILL DO FOR SIGHT

THANKS TO THE RIDERS

(June 2018)

HELPING THE BLIND TO SEE

HELEN KELLER challenged the LIONS to become KNIGHTS of the BLIND, and YOU have helped Knysna and Uniondale to achieve this status by supporting the Karoo to Coast

CATARACT OPS

4307 Cataract operations in the Southern Cape paid for by the Karoo to Coast funds

4307 PEOPLE CAN SEE THANKS TO KAROO TO COAST and the CATARACT OPERATIONS we have sponsored. These people come from the whole Southern Cape area: Riversdale to Plettenberg Bay and as far as Oudtshoorn and Uniondale

GUIDE DOGS

60 guide dogs (puppies) donated through S A Guide Dog Association

In the last 2 years, we have sponsored the training of TWO guide dogs from inception, one called CASEY (KC) and another called Zandile, both will be at the Karoo to Coast this year. Unfortunately, Zandile is not fit to be a guide dog and will be replaced soon.

In addition, Knynsa has recently paid for another puppy to be trained to adulthood and named by us – starting with the letter ‘I’

Teagan will be in the GUIDE DOG GAZEBO to tell you more about “seeing” through the eyes of man’s best friend, and also about mobility for disabled people.

CORNEA GRAFTS

We have sponsored 19 cornea replacements so far, and we have urgent need of suitable corneas for many patients

When corneas fail, the person WILL GO TOTALLY BLIND

There is no other way to correct or improve the patient’s sight without replacing the cornea SO THIS IS A DRAMATIC NEED

Imported corneas cost between R25 000 and R45 000, so the need for local tissue donors is URGENT. The cornea is the membrane that covers your eye.

Please sign up as a donor for at least the corneas/soft tissue AND consider how much good you can do, and also PLEASE ask your family to become donors too

Remember if you sign up you need to tell your family about your wish and carry your donor card with you, and the family has to sign approval.

RETINAL ATTACHMENT

We have recently sponsored a retinal attachment which is also a procedure that avoids instant and total blindness

LIONS ARE EVER GRATEFUL FOR THE DEDICATION OF OPTOMETRISTS AND OPHTHALMOLOGISTS WHO DO THIS WORK FOR US THE LIONS AND ALL THE PEOPLE WE ASSIST

CONGENITAL DEFECTS

2 operations for people born with defective vision and 37 children with squints.  These people had their vision and their confidence restored!

BIO EYE

1 prosthesis fitted in February 2013 to a child with one eye

She had lost her eye as a 3 or 4-year-old and is now 14 years old. It is a joy to see how happy and confident she has become

We have also sponsored a ‘glass’ eye for someone who had lost his eye

SPECTACLES SUPPLIED

Knysna and Uniondale Lions supply on average 300 pairs of spectacles every year, through the OPERATION BRIGHTSIGHT division of Lions.

We thank the Optometrists who give so generously and regularly of their time and expertise for those who cannot afford regular eye care

DETACHED RETINAS AND MACULAR HOLES We have come to the aid of a people whose retinas become detached or have had Macular problems. This is a fairly rare request, and we sponsor this at the behest of the Ophthalmologist concerned. Another 3 this last year

DONATION OF CORNEAS AND OR ORGANS

THERE IS A DESPERATE SHORTAGE OF CORNEAS IN S AFRICA AND PEOPLE GO BLIND IF THESE ARE NOT REPLACED TIMEOUSLY

As corneas and organs are in desperately short supply, please ask your doctor or clinic how you can enroll as a donor

An organ donor can save up to SEVEN lives, and each soft tissue donor can also save TWO people’s sight!

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR RIDING AND SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT