The 2007 calendar
year marks a very special anniversary for the Missouri Lions Eye
Research Foundation and the Lions of the state of Missouri. Twenty
years ago at the 1987 Missouri Lions State Convention, the
Missouri Lions voted to assume the Eye Research Foundation of
Missouri (or, soon-to-be Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation)
as its state sight project.
Together, with the
help of the Lions of the state of Missouri, we have been able to
touch the lives of thousands of individuals here in our home
state, across the U.S., and even worldwide. For example, since
1987 our programs have:
1. Provided
corneas for transplant to over 24,000 people through the Heartland
Lions Eye Bank.
2. Screened over
72,000 children for amblyopic, or “lazy eye,” through our
Amblyopic Prevention program. Over 3,000 children have been
referred to eye care specialists for further testing and diagnosis
through this program, since it began in 1995.
3. Provided
glaucoma screenings to over 20,000 Missourians through our
Glaucoma Detection program. Approximately 950 individuals were
found to have elevated eye pressure and referred to an eye care
specialist.
4. Assisted over
100 uninsured individuals throughout the state of Missouri who
cannot afford vision care through our Eye Care Assistance program,
since its inception in 1994.
In 2007, we
encourage you and your club to reaffirm your commitment to the
Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation. That could be as simple as
taking the time to learn more about our mission, requesting more
information or an informational program on MLERF, or taking a tour
of one of our offices. Another way that your club can support
MLERF and its work is by making a sight pledge donation to our
organization.
It’s amazing to
think that in the last twenty years, the Lions Clubs of Missouri
have donated over $4 million to MLERF! We thank you for your
dedication and ongoing support of our mission.
Today, the need
for your financial support is greater than ever as our programs
are expanding and new technologies are being implemented to
advance our mission. To ensure the continued success of your state
sight project for the next twenty years and beyond, we encourage
your club to consider making a donation, or increasing your
current giving level, to MLERF.
With your help and
continued support, we can make the next 20 years record-breaking-
helping to preserve and restore sight to even more individuals in
need.
