Shrewsbury – To combat the leading causes of blindness and assist in preserving vision, the Shrewsbury Lions Club is participating in the annual Lions World Sight Day Thursday, Oct. 10, to heighten awareness and education about sight preservation and preventable blindness.
The Lions Club will be collecting used eyeglasses at the Shrewsbury Public Library on that day and will have available information regarding the club's effort to raise awareness about sight-related issues.
“It is estimated that 40 million people around the world are blind,” said Richard Ricker, president of the Shrewsbury Lions Club. “On Lions World Sight Day, the Shrewsbury Lions are working in unison with Lions clubs around the world to educate millions of people on the importance of proper eye health care.”
The World Health Organization has estimated that the number of blind people in the world could double in the next 25 years. In the United States, approximately 750,000 people are blind and an additional 50,000 more will become blind each year, according to the National Federation of the Blind.
Since the club's chartering, the Shrewsbury Lions Club donates funds each year to institutions dedicated to research on eye diseases and diabetes.? The Lions also provide support for local programs including the free medical service at St. Anne's Church in Shrewsbury, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Shrewsbury Public Library, and the Shrewsbury Garden Club, as well as scholarships for local students.
For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit www.lionsclubs.org.
