AN event to focus attention on preventing blindness, and improving sight, is to be held at St George’s Plateau.
In 1925 while attending a Lions Clubs International Convention in Ohio, Helen Keller challenged those present to become “Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness” and since 1998, Lions clubs around the world have conducted special sight-related projects on Lions World Sight day, held annually on the second Thursday in October.
On October 11, the City of Liverpool Lions Club will be joining thousands of Lions around the world by organising an awareness day.
It will take place on St George’s plateau from 10:30am – 3:30pm. The Lion statues on the plateau will be blindfolded and the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sharon Sullivan, has agreed to be blindfolded and guided around the plateau. This will take place at 11am.
It is hoped that we will have some surprise guests joining is on these walks using spectacles that will be provided for us by Henshaws Society for Blind People. When wearing these spectacles it is possible to experience various visual impairments such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Lion Joan Elliott said, “We want the public to come along so that we can raise awareness of the effects of sight loss, and encourage regular eye tests for the early detection of eye disease”
Re-cycle for Sight is another Lions project in which used spectacles are collected, sorted, and sent to developing countries to restore the sight of people with poor vision. A large collecting bin will be available on the day for people to come along and donate their unwanted glasses.
