Partnering with the Lions Club of Iowa
For nearly a century, Lions Clubs International has been involved in vision-related projects. In 1925, Helen Keller addressed delegates at the annual convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, challenging them to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against the darkness.” After that, Lions Clubs around the world began implementing programs aimed at preventable blindness.
Lions Clubs first became involved in eye banking in the 1940s in New York. When Dr. Alson E. Braley learned of the organization’s interest, he approached the Lions Clubs of Iowa for support in starting an eye bank in the state.
Iowa’s Lions enthusiastically took up the cause, establishing a governing body for the eye bank, raising money, and lobbying the legislature to pass a law allowing Iowans to will parts of their body for medical and scientific purposes. Once the law was passed, the Lions retained the assistance of the State Highway Patrol in transporting tissue from all 99 counties to University Hospital. The Lions also helped design donor cards and funded enucleation kits for hospitals across the state. In gratitude for their assistance, the eye bank was named Iowa Lions Eye Bank.
Nearly 70 years later, Lions Clubs of Iowa continue to actively support the eye bank’s operations. Since 2009, volunteer Lions, through the Lions Transport Program, have almost daily transported corneal tissue around the state. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer driver, contact Lion Steve Halstead.