From Jim Biddick
The Orcas Island Lions Club will be handing out information on the White Canes Program and providing information on the Orcas Island Lions Club. For the 43rd year in a row, Lions Club members have been campaigning across Washington and Northern Idaho for the annual White Canes Day fundraising event. The Orcas Island Lions in partnership with the Northwest Lions Foundation protect and restore sight for kids and adults in the Pacific Northwest.
On June 8 & 9, 2012, the Orcas Island Lions Club will be in front of Island Market from 10:00am to 4:00pm, asking for donations to support sight programs of the Northwest Lions Foundation and to answer question about the Orcas Island Lions Club.
Taking up Helen Keller’s challenge to become “knights of the blind,” Lions in the Pacific Northwest assist children and adults in their communities with sight restoration and preservation. All contributions to White Canes Day benefit the sight programs of the Northwest Lions Foundation. The Foundation gives the gift of sight through the following programs:
- Lions Patient Care Grants The Foundation provides grants to Lions Clubs to assist people in their own community who need treatment for sight loss but cannot afford it.
- Lions Health Screening Unit This program provides free health screenings for vision, hearing, glaucoma, diabetes and high blood pressure. About 30% of the people screened find they have health problems of which they were previously unaware. Last year the LHSU screened more than 29,000 children and adults. When the unit was on Orcas in May we screened 152 community members.
- Lions Project Support Grants Special grants are available to Lions Clubs and other community organizations to help support vision and hearing – related programs in their local areas. The Orcas Island Lions Club would like to thank fellow Lion Chris White for his many generous services provided to the community through the Club.
For more information on the Orcas Island Lions club activities in your community, you may contact: Jim Biddick at 376-2488 or stop by a meeting any Wednesday, 12:00pm at American Legion Post 93
