SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) – Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1925, she attended the Lions Club International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA as the keynote speaker of the convention. As an ambassador for the newly formed American Foundation for the Blind, Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become the “Knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” The Lions graciously accepted her challenge and our work ever since has included sight programs aimed at preventable blindness.
Today, October 8th, 2020 we celebrate “World Sight Day” and it is fitting that on this day, the Sint Maarten Lions Club was able to present to Ms. Gloria Francis, a coordinator at the No Kidding with our Kids afternoon program as well as a youth leader of the Mohican Scouts group in St. Maarten for many years with a pair of eye-glasses.
Ms. Francis is a very passionate, dedicated and responsible coordinator that goes beyond her call of duty to make sure each child that she comes in contact with gets the best care possible. With this donation from the Lions Club, we know that these eyeglasses will not only benefit her as an individual, but also it assists her in her daily life. Her family will also benefit because of her improve sight as she will be able to provide for them. The kids at the No kidding with our Kids foundation and the Mohican scouts will also benefit as she will be able to continue her dedicated care to them and help mold them into our bright future leaders.
Sight is one of the core areas of Lionism and have been one of their main focus areas since 1925. The Sint Maarten Lions Club for the past 50 years has continued to engage in programs that aid persons with sight disabilities. Over the years we have donated numerous eyeglasses to young and seniors in our community. We have collected recycled eyeglasses from the community and was able to send these abroad to recycle centers where they refurbish these glasses and distribute them to less fortunate persons in third world countries.
We have held several large vision programs over the years with the latest one “Eyes for a Brighter Future” sight project being held in 2018 as one of our signature projects. This project started in 2017 under then Lion President Davey Woods MJF and continued and executed under the presidential year 2018 of Lion Alison Busby MJF. In collaboration with the VOSH Foundation, a group of retired and volunteered doctors from the United States, we were able to assist over 3000 primary school students with eye screening exams and a number of them were provided with eyeglasses on the spot.
The Sint Maarten Lions will continue in the years ahead with aiding persons with their sight and helping to prevent blindness as much as possible by executing programs and awareness to those in need. Plans are in place to have follow up sight programs in the coming years.
On behalf of the board and the entire membership of the Sint Maarten Lions Club, we say Thank You to our various sponsors and donors over the years that have aid us with the funds to be able to reach and provide assistance to the many in our community. We look forward to your continued support.
