Hales Corners Lions Club
"We
Serve"
Serving
Hales Corners, Wisconsin
Since 1956
Updated:
March 2008
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Lions are an international network of 1.3 million men
and women in 200 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the
needs that challenge communities around the world.
Known for working to end preventable blindness, Lions
participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities. These
projects range from cleaning up local parks to providing supplies to victims of
natural disasters.
Beginning in 1917, the association
of Lions clubs has provided millions of people with the opportunity to give
something back to their communities. View LQ (Lions Quarterly Video Magazine)
on the Lions News Network
to see how Lions continue to make a difference everyday and everywhere.
Lions Clubs Facts:
Membership
Lions Clubs International is
the world's largest service club organization with 1.3 million members in
approximately 45,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas.
Lions are men and women who
volunteer their time to humanitarian causes. Founded in 1917, the volunteer
organization's motto is "We Serve."
Service to Others
Worldwide, Lions clubs are
recognized for their service to the blind and visually impaired. This service
began when Helen Keller challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind
in the crusade against darkness" during the 1925 Lions Clubs International
Convention.
Today, Lions extend their
commitment to sight conservation through countless local efforts, as well as through
their international SightFirst Program and Lions World Sight Day, a global
partnership of United Nations agencies, eye care and philanthropic
organizations and health professionals, held the second Thursday of each
October to increase awareness of the need to eradicate blindness. Lions also
collect and recycle eyeglasses for distribution in developing countries
year-round and especially during May, which is Lions Recycle for Sight Month.
In addition, Lions make a
strong commitment to young people through youth outreach programs. Lions also
work to improve the environment, build homes for the disabled, support diabetes
education, conduct hearing programs and, through their foundation, provide
disaster relief around the world.
Based on a recent report of
Lions clubs worldwide, it is estimated that each Lions clubs donates US$9,900
to charitable causes, totaling US$449 million. Each year Lions club members
volunteer approximately 76 million hours, which is equivalent to 36,500 people
working full time for a year.
Sight Programs
In 1990, Lions established
SightFirst, raising US$143 million to fight the major causes of preventable and
reversible blindness. The unprecedented program joins Lions volunteers with
blindness prevention experts and organizations and governments.
SightFirst has:
* provided more than 7.1 million cataract
surgeries
* built or expanded 213 eye hospitals
* supported more than 80 million treatments to
prevent river blindness
* improved eye care in 90 countries around the
world.
In 2005, Lions launched Campaign SightFirst II with a goal of raising at least US$150 million to continue and expand the extraordinary work of SightFirst.
Lions clubs support other
sight-related activities. Lions clubs and members:
* provide 600,000 free professional glaucoma
screenings and make 25,000 corneal transplants possible each year
* establish and support a majority of the
world's eye banks, hundreds of clinics, hospitals and eye research centers
worldwide
* collect more than 30 million pairs of used
eyeglasses annually for free distribution to those in need in developing
countries
* offer screenings, eyeglasses and sports
goggles to athletes through the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International
Opening Eyes Program
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* provide free quality eye care, eyeglasses, Braille-writers, large print texts, white canes and guide dogs for thousands of people each year. |
Helen Keller's Speech
1925 International Convention Cedar Point, Ohio USA June 30, 1925 Dear Lions and Ladies: I suppose you have heard the legend that
represents opportunity as a capricious lady, who knocks at every door but
once, and if the door isn't opened quickly, she passes on, never to return.
And that is as it should be. Lovely, desirable ladies won't wait. You have to
go out and grab 'em. I am your opportunity. I am knocking at your door.
I want to be adopted. The legend doesn't say what you are to do when several
beautiful opportunities present themselves at the same door. I guess you have
to choose the one you love best. I hope you will adopt me. I am the youngest
here, and what I offer you is full of splendid opportunities for service. The American Foundation for the Blind is only four
years old. It grew out of the imperative needs of the blind, and was called
into existence by the sightless themselves. It is national and international
in scope and in importance. It represents the best and most enlightened
thought on our subject that has been reached so far. Its object is to make
the lives of the blind more worthwhile everywhere by increasing their
economic value and giving them the joy of normal activity. Try to imagine how you would feel if you were
suddenly stricken blind today. Picture yourself stumbling and groping at
noonday as in the night; your work, your independence, gone. In that dark
world wouldn't you be glad if a friend took you by the hand and said,
"Come with me and I will teach you how to do some of the things you used
to do when you could see"? That is just the kind of friend the American
Foundation is going to be to all the blind in this country if seeing people
will give it the support it must have. You have heard how through a little word dropped
from the fingers of another, a ray of light from another soul touched the darkness
of my mind and I found myself, found the world, found God. It is because my
teacher learned about me and broke through the dark, silent imprisonment
which held me that I am able to work for myself and for others. It is the
caring we want more than money. The gift without the sympathy and interest of
the giver is empty. If you care, if we can make the people of this great
country care, the blind will indeed triumph over blindness. The opportunity I bring to you, Lions, is this: To
foster and sponsor the work of the American Foundation for the Blind. Will
you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness;
no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal
to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and
brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in
this crusade against darkness? I thank you. |
Created: January 2007
Revised: March 26, 2007
Web Connection: mailto:HCLions@HalesCornersLions.Org