Reflections of Ponoka: Ponoka has donated 8,000 glasses to vision program

What do we all do with our old and oddball pairs of eyeglasses when it is time to get a fancy new prescription model, a snappy set of contact lenses, or the latest in flashy sunglasses?

If you are like me you quite likely tossed them in a drawer somewhere, just because we don’t like to throw personal treasures away, or in case we may need them again, but by now of course we have likely forgotten all about them. People of all ages have been changing their glasses and trying out new trends of eyewear for countless decades, and we always will, simply because it is a way of life.

About 70 or so years ago, Lions Club International introduced an enthusiastic worldwide program with goals of assisting needy people of all ages throughout the world with their vital vision needs, which also included collecting discarded eyewear to be recycled and used again. Many Canadian community Lions Clubs would join in on the exciting promotion throughout the 20th century, and the ongoing Recycle For Sight program has now grown to include sponsorship and support in 17 nations.

Ponoka Lions joined the vision support program in the 1950s

After receiving their initial charter in 1948, the Ponoka Lions became involved in countless community fundraising and promotional activities, and the ongoing vision assistance programs have always been a part of that mix. Club treasurer Bob Peters is the current chairman of the Ponoka Lions Club Eyeglass Recycling Program, and claims that through the great support of our community and districts over the past eight years, they have collected an overwhelming 8,000 pairs of eyeglasses, lens, frames, contact lenses, and prescription sunglasses for the cause.

The glasses are regularly shipped to the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Program headquarters in Calgary. With the ongoing assistance of the inmates of the Calgary Correction Centre and a host of volunteers, the glasses are sorted, cleaned, and prescriptions read, then packed and sent off to be reused in Third World countries. Over the past seven years the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Program has shipped more than three million pairs of revitalized eyeglasses to help so many others with their difficult vision problems!

The growing legacy of this worldwide vision assistance program

Since the inception of this program, the results, growth, and support have been totally overwhelming. With the ongoing leadership and enthusiasm of Lions Clubs from throughout the world, as well as the wonderful support of millions of individuals, organizations, and sponsors.

Here are only just a few of the milestones that this program has accomplished.

• Treated and extended vision care to more than 30 million people of all age groups around the world, in many cases saving the sight of individuals and preventing impairment or permanent blindness. A total individual treatment count in all areas of this wonderful vision program is now approaching 150 million, worldwide!

• Helped stop the spread of rampaging trachoma in Ethiopia by providing 10 million doses of the sight saving drug azithromycin.

• Helped to establish improved eye care for upwards of 100 million people, by establishing the ongoing training of more than 650,000 eyecare professionals and the building of 315 hospitals to date.

• Established or strengthened Pediatric Eye Care Centres that have given assistance to more than 121 million children. The sight of more than 14 million children has been greatly improved or saved because they received screenings, regular treatment, and new eyeglasses if necessary.

• Vaccinated 41 million children in Africa against measles, which is a leading cause of childhood blindness.

• Provided nearly 8 million cataract surgeries, as well as promoting the vital eye banks that collect and provide the eye tissue for thousands of eye-saving surgeries.

• As the miracles of the International/Canadian Lions Club Eyewear Recycling and Sight Care Program continues, Bob Peters’ favourite success and heartfelt story is of the sweet old grandmother in a far away country who received a new pair of glasses, and was able to see her grandchildren for the first time. Also there are the thousands of young children who are now able to see all the colours and wonders of their homeland, to read their favourite books, and to carry on their important education into a hopefully bright future. Because of good ongoing sight and treatment, countless students and adults have been able pursue their careers, enjoy their jobs, and have a good quality of life with their families.

Collection boxes for the Ponoka Lions Club Eye Glass Recycling Program are located at: the Ponoka News, Ponoka Composite High School, Diamond Willow Middle School, Ponoka Elementary School, St. Augustine School, and the offices of optometrists Drs. Wilson, Heimdahl, and ZoBell.

Encourage your family, friends, and neighbours to drop off their old glasses, and thank you for your kind ongoing donations and support in this special cause.