Lions celebrate “World Sight Day”
To celebrate World Lions Service Day, members of the Belize City Lions Club went out into the community they serve. One special occasion that took place on Mahogany Street was the handing over of a bus shelter to the Belize City Council. They also continued their free blood pressure tests. Lions throughout Belize have joined hands with the Belize Council For the Visually Impaired to hold eye clinics as part of World Sight Day on the fourteenth.
Joan Burrell, President, Belize District Lions Club
“It is necessary for us to do some project and the Belize City Lions Club included the handing over of this bus shelter to the Belize City Council as part of our project for today.
The Lions, as you know, focuses on sight and so as a result we are doing some glaucoma screening as well but we thought we would get everything together. We are also doing pressure checking for free and it is our way of getting into the public and saying to the public we care. Our motto says, “We serve and we are a service to our community.””
Leo Cuellar Sr., Governor, Lions District 59
“We are very concerned about the fact that needless blindness is occurring in the world. In other words, irreversible blindness is something we can’t help but there is blindness that is caused through lack of education or knowledge. And through this program we are trying to educate the people to know what are the dangers, what are the difficulties and what ought to be done to prevent blindness.
We will be doing this by holding eye clinics in all our communities where we have clubs. We will hold clinics in San Estevan, San Pedro, Belize City, Belmopan and Dangriga. The days will be staggered so people in the community should get in touch with their respective Lions Club to see when the clinics will be held.”
The eye clinics will run until October fourteenth. It is estimated that there are forty million people worldwide who are blind. The World Health Organization estimates that the number could double if special attention is not taken to eradicate unnecessary blindness. For the first time the Lions Club International will hold an online press conference to commemorate World Sight Day. All Lions are invited to log on to www.lionsclub.org on October fourteenth.
