Beneficiaries

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 Buco Lions Karoo to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge go to?

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 Buco Lions Karoo to Coast

CATARACT OPS

3051 cataract operations in the Southern Cape paid for by K to C funds.
3050 PEOPLE CAN SEE THANKS TO Buco Lions Karoo to Coast, from Riversdale to Plett and as far as Oudtshoorn and Uniondale. 45 bookings for more cataract ops in December this year and about 150 due too be done in Feb/March 2017

GUIDE DOGS

56 guide dogs donated through S A Guide Dog Association.
TODAY we are giving and training a dog called Zandile and 2 more little puppies
Bringing total to 59 GUIDE DOGS of which we have named and trained ONE called K C for Buco Lions Karoo to Coast

Cheryl and two guide-dogs are 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. Please feel free to go and chat to her

CORNEA GRAFTS

We have sponsored 8 cornea replacements so far, and we have urgent need of suitable corneas for:
one 11 year old girl, two corneas for a 51 year old man. When corneas fail, the person WILL GO TOTALLY BLIND. There is no other way to correct or improve the patient’s sight , SO THIS IS A DRAMATIC NEED

Imported corneas cost about 3 times the price of local ones and we can get none to match any of these patients at this stage – neither local nor imported

STABISMUS = SQUINTS

3 strabismus corrections (severe squints which affected sight) are done every month. These are mostly done on children from the age of two years.

Sight problems have a great detrimental effect on people, it is psychologically very damaging, as is a problem with a squint – kids who have a squint have an enormous disadvantage amongst their peers and there is a danger that the weaker eye stops working altogether if the problem is not addressed. This beside the headaches and lack of visual field, and of course the child is liable to teased or shunned when they young – very damaging

CONGENITAL DEFECTS

2 operations for people born with defective vision. As lay people we do not know quite what these operations consisted of, but the people had their vision restored!

BIO EYE

1 prosthesis fitted in February 2013 to child with one eye. She had lost her eye as a 3 or 4 year old, and is now 11 years old. It is a joy to see how happy and confident she has become

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 RETINA

We came to the aid of a lady who was blind in one eye and suddenly the retina became detached in her remaining eye. We sponsored this retinal attachment as a matter of urgency as there were only hours to save her sight. She is now seeing well and is most grateful

MACULAR HOLE

we are about to sponsor the operation for a lady who has macular holes in both eyes. This is serious MAJOR surgery

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

Please sign up 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