LIONS HOST ILLINOIS EYE BANK

FREEPORT 08/12/2014 - Guest speaker for the August 12, 2014, meeting of the Freeport Lions Club was Lion Kara Kelly, Manager of Professional and Public Education and a Certified Eye Bank Technician, from the Illinois Eye Bank. Lion Kara was sponsored into Lions in 2000. Lion Kara has sponsored 6 new Lions herself!  

Following dinner, Lion Kara provided a powerful PowerPoint presentation on the Eye Bank, its many success stories and its research.  

Both old and young patients benefit from corneal transplants. The youngest person to receive a corneal transplant was just a few days old and the oldest was 104. With advances in surgical techniques such as corneal transplants and stem cell research, doctors and researchers are optimistic that blindness could be totally prevented within 20 years.

Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) and Lions of Illinois Foundation (LIF) are both strong supporters of the work performed by the Illinois Eye Bank. Families of recently deceased people donate eyes and eye tissue to make this possible.  http://www.illinoiseyebank.org/communities/lions-clubs/lions-clubs.htm



Lion Rebecca Shriver and Lion President Richard Montgomery present Kara Kelly (center) a $250 donation for the Illinois Eye Bank on behalf of the Freeport Lions Club.

Following the presentation, the Club presented Lion Kara Kelly with a donation of $250 for the Illinois Eye Bank. Our members consider themselves lucky to have this great organization in our own state of Illinois. We are proud to count Lion Kara as “one of the pride” in District 1D. Special thanks from all the members to fellow member Lion Rebecca Shriver for scheduling this excellent program.

The Freeport Lions Club meets for dinner every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday. You can learn more about them and view their photo albums on the internet:

http://freeportlionsclub.blogspot.com  or www.facebook.com/FREEPORTLIONS