Lions clubs see to upgrades at WDMH eye clinic
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By John Nelson
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Tweet ThisEMC News Things are looking good for the Winchester District Memorial Hospital's ophthalmology unit after a $10,000 donation from the Metcalfe and District Lions Club.
Lion Helen Porteous told the EMC that local Lions clubs raised money to help establish the clinic 11 years ago, and funds are now being raised to upgrade equipment and technology in what is officially known at the Lions Ophthalmology Clinic.
In the past seven months, about a dozen area Lions clubs have raised $98,000 for the clinic. The $10,000 from the Metcalfe and District Lions was raised through regular club activities such as bingo and the farmers' auction. This donation is part of an overall two-year pledge of $15,000 to the WDMH ophthalmology clinic.
"We had the $10,000 now so, why not?" said Ms. Porteous. "We might not have it next year."
The Lions Ophthalmology Clinic has three ophthalmology specialists who provide enhanced services such as strabismus, lid/tearing surgery, and glaucoma and cataract removal.
Issues related to eyesight have long been a focus for Lions clubs around the world. That all started back in 1925 when Helen Keller attended the Lions Club International Convention and appealed to Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness."
The Lions accepted the challenge and their work has included programs aimed at preventable blindness ever since.
Ms. Keller was born in 1880 and a fever at 18 months of age left her deaf and blind. With the help of a dedicated teacher, she eventually learned sign language and Braille and later learned to speak, becoming an advocate for people with disabilities.
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