THE LIONS WHO WE ARE Lions are more than 1.3 million strong...men and women...young and old. You will find us in more than 194 countries and geographical areas from the hinterlands of Australia and Brazil to thriving urban centres like New York City and Milan. We speak a dozen languages and vary in nature and customs. We share a common spirit. Since our beginning in 1917, we have been united in a single cause: Helping those less fortunate. We are tackling the tough problems like blindness and drug abuse as well as diabetes awareness--and finding help and training for the deaf, disabled, underprivileged and the elderly. In fact, whatever the community needs to make life better, we're there to help. We are the youngest service club community based organization, yet we have grown to be the world's largest. We are succeeding because we have embraced all those committed to building a brighter future for all the world and themselves. And, with a new generation of enlightened members, Lions Clubs are working smarter and faster with greater commitment than ever before.     We are Lions...and, we serve.

WHAT WE DO..... BRINGING RAYS OF LIGHT TO THOUSANDS For more than 85 years, Lions have been recognized throughout the world for their services to the blind and visually impaired. back in 1925, when Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become "knights of the Blind," she could not have possibly imagined the impact of Lions commitment to blindness prevention. Bringing rays of light to the darkness of countless people around the world , Lions have established the majority of eye banks worldwide, funded ground-breaking research on leading causes of blindness, organized eyeglass recycling efforts and helped hundreds of thousands of visually impaired people develop the skills to live productive lives. SIGHTFIRST: ELIMINATING BLINDNESS WORLDWIDE Lions launched SightFirst in 1990 as an aggressive attack on the rising tide of blindness around the world. Forty-five million people are blind, yet 80 percent of all blindness is preventable or reversible. Developed as a bold response to the World Health Organization's prediction that the number of people who are blind would double in 25 years, SightFirst works to close the gap between existing health care services and those that are needed. Topping more than $140 million in funds raised through a major, three-year fundraising drive, Lions have initiated SightFirst programs in more than 48 countries on five continents. Lions have joined with governments, ophthalmic professionals and other organizations to help establish long-term solutions in health care infrastructure, training of health care professionals, treatment and public education.