Celebration of Hope & Renewal
The 2026 Iowa Lions Eye Bank Celebration of Hope & Renewal took place on Thursday, May 21, in the Iowa Lions Donor Memorial & Healing Garden. The Iowa Lions Donor Memorial & Healing Garden honors and celebrates the gifts given by Iowa families and the work of all who facilitate and support the donation and transplantation process.
The theme of the memorial is Hope, Renewal, and Transformation, and commemorates those who have transformed lives through their generosity and courage, as well as Iowa Lions and others who have supported the work of donation.
At the 2026 event we heard from multiple speakers, including Esther Baker, MA, MBA, executive director of ILEB; Dr. Kanwal Matharu, MD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Dr. Mark Greiner, M.D., medical director of ILEB; gift of sight recipient Charise Schwarm; and Dave McGlaughlin, spouse of gift of sight donor Jeanna McGlaughlin. Musical selections were sung by Dr. Matthew Bean, and the honor roll of donors was read by Mackie Malli. Jay Herman, owner of Groove Announcing and Event Services, graciously
provided the sound system and ambient music for the ceremony.