Lions Eye Bank

Lions Clubs International is the largest service organization in the world, with 1.3 million members in more than 180 countries. The Lions motto "We Serve" reflects a mission that starts in local communities and ripples throughout states, the nation, and the world.

The Lions’ dedication to helping the visually-impaired and blind is nearly a century old. In 1925, when Lions International was in its infancy, the legendary Helen Keller spoke to members at their annual convention. She challenged them to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” That speech set the Lions’ course as stewards of vision research, treatments, and cures.

In Minnesota, the Lions represent some of the state’s most dedicated volunteers. There are more than 20,000 Lions and Lioness members in Minnesota and more than 600 Lions clubs statewide.

Lions and the University

The Minnesota Lions first formed a partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Department of Ophthalmology in 1960 when they established the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank. This partnership, known as the Lions Sight Program, has grown and to-date has garnered the University more than $18 million in Lions’ contributions.

The Lions Sight Program at the University of Minnesota includes:

Minnesota Lions Eye Bank, dedicated to recovering, processing, and distributing donated eye tissue for use in sight-saving corneal transplants, vision-enhancing surgery, research, and education. The Minnesota Lions Eye Bank is one of the most successful of its kind in the country, and more than 18,000 people have received the gift of sight with donated eye tissue provided through the bank.
Lions Children’s Eye Clinic, established in 1969, where more than 5,000 children are seen every year. The clinic is the second largest and best-staffed clinic of its kind in the country.
Ophthalmology Research at the Lions Research Building. The University of Minnesota Lions Research Building, which opened its doors in 1993, includes a state-of-the-art laboratory where investigators from the departments of ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and neurology collaborate with other University departments on research projects.
Minnesota Lions Macular Degeneration Research and Rehabilitation Center (The MAC), established in 1998 to research the causes of—and cures for—a disease that affects the central vision and is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. The MAC brings together the expertise of physicians, the research of various departments around the University, and the knowledge of those in the medical technology industry. It is a powerful collaboration of resources dedicated to finding a cure for macular degeneration

Distributing Glasses Globally

Worldwide, one out of every four children needs eyeglasses to see well enough to read and learn. Ninety percent of adults aged 40 and older have difficulty reading print without eyeglasses.

Unfortunately, a pair of glasses is out of the reach of countless individuals. Many emerging countries lack resources to manufacture quality lenses, and the cost of importing eyeglasses is far beyond the means of the average citizen. Even an eye exam can cost as much as one month’s wages, and a single doctor may serve a community of hundreds of thousands of people. Millions will fail to reach their economic and social potential because they cannot see.

The Lions have reached out to those in need. Individual Lions clubs and districts collect old, unwanted eyeglasses for redistribution to the poor in developing countries. Because the program is volunteer-driven, it costs only eight cents to fit an individual with a pair of glasses. Many Lions members deliver the glasses, donating travel expenses, time, and talent to carefully and professionally dispense recycled eyeglasses free of charge. Some people in poorer countries walk 50 miles because they might receive free eyeglasses from the Lions.

To Donate Your Glasses

In Minnesota, Lions have collected more than 5 million pairs of eyeglasses. You can help by taking your used eyeglasses to your local Lions club or to a participating optometrist or retailer. Glasses may be taken to any Vision World or LensCrafters store. Call 1-866-887-4448 to find Minnesota eyeglass drop sites.

Contact the Lions

If you want to contact the Lions, LionNet Minnesota can help you find a Minnesota Lions club on the Web. To see a complete listing of Lions Clubs, visit Lions Clubs International.

Contact Us

Administrative Office
(Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
612-625-5159

Administrative Fax
612-625-4295

Administrative Toll-free
(24-hour access option)
1-866-887-4448

Laboratory
(24-hour access)
612-624-3900

Laboratory Fax
612-626-1192

Eye Donor Referral
1-800-247-4273

Mailing Address and Delivery Address
Minnesota Lions Eye Bank
Suite 260
1000 Westgate Dr
Saint Paul, MN 55114

Email:
mleb@mnlionseyebank.org

Minnesota Lions
Signatures for Sight Campaign

You can help restore sight and save lives with the Minnesota Lions Signatures for Sight campaign.

The Problem

There are too few corneas to restore the sight of all those who are in need of transplants. More than 100,000 Americans are in need of eye, organ, and tissue donations right now, and each day 100 people are added to the national transplant waiting list.

The Solution

Lives are saved or dramatically improved when people say “yes” to donation. The number of donors and the number of people helped increases when people legally designate themselves as donors by signing up on an online donor registry, by marking their driver’s licenses, or by committing to donation in health care directives.

The Campaign

Minnesota Lions Eye Bank has developed a Lions Signatures for Sight campaign to add to the number of legally registered donors on the Minnesota donor registry. Please participate and increase the number of registered eye, tissue, and organ donors in Minnesota.

Campaign Club Goal

Each Lions club’s goal is to achieve an average of four Minnesota Registry enrollment submissions per Lions club member. Campaign enrollment is tracked by the Signatures for Sight registry sign–up sheets returned to the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank.

How to Participate

          • Lions receive Signatures for Sight sign–up forms.

          • Lions write their name and their club name on bottom of registration forms
             prior to distributing the forms.

          • Lions distribute donor registry enrolment forms to individuals and ask them
             to complete the form.

          • Lions collect and mail completed forms to the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank
             (address printed on back of form) or have individuals mail in their own
             forms.

          • On–line option: Clubs can mail a “confirming” registry sheet to the eye
             bank if a participant chooses to register on–line (www.DonateLifeMN.org)
             instead of on paper.

How to Succeed

Lions members can talk with family, friends, neighbors, business and social contacts to share the message about the need for donation and to encourage individuals to register their wishes to be donors.

Clubs can incorporate donation and registration information into their community events (White Cane Days, pancake breakfasts, school and community functions where a Lions table can be set up or a speaker scheduled, etc.). Members can hand out Signatures for Sight fact fliers and forms at events.

Clubs can provide information about the Signatures for Sight campaign to local news media outlets (radio, TV, newspapers, cable).

Clubs can have donor family members or transplant recipients share their personal experiences with news media representatives or at community events. (Minnesota Lions Eye Bank can be a resource in identifying donor family members or recipients who are willing to speak or be interviewed.)

Recognition

Clubs achieving an average of four new registrants on the Minnesota online donation registry, as accounted through registration forms received by the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank by December 31, 2008, will receive a banner patch and club pins. (Club name and member name must be included on the online registry forms submitted in order to receive credit for the sign–ups.)

Awards to clubs achieving their club goal will be presented early 2009.

Supplies and Questions

Clubs are welcome to download and duplicate the registration sheets and other materials as needed.

     Click here to download Registration Sheet

     Click here to download News Release

     Click here to download Instructions

Registration sheets and Signatures for Sight fact fliers can also be ordered from Minnesota Lions Eye Bank by contacting Lion Jennifer or by completing the form below. There is no charge for the materials.

Lion Jennifer Marshall
Public Relations Manager
Minnesota Lions Eye Bank
1000 Westgate Drive Suite 260
Saint Paul, MN 55114

612–626–6081 (direct)
1–866–88–SIGHT (toll–free)
mader005@umn.edu

Drop off your used eyeglasses here

Coon Rapids

Goodwill Store

Peace Lutheran Church

Northtown YMCA

Cub Foods (Riverdale)

Cub Foods (Northtown)

Walmart (Riverdale)

Coon Rapids City Hall

Mercy Hospital

Perle Vision (Riverdale)

Select Eyecare

Coon Rapids VFW

Andover

City Hall

Andover Optical (Riverdale Ctr)

Andover Opitimetric Clinic

Coop's Keys

Kottke Bus

Microsoft Office Live|Create a free website