About Lions Clubs International Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is the grant-making arm of Lions Clubs International. Working with Lions, LCIF prevents blindness; provides food and clothing to victims of natural disasters; gives youth the tools to succeed through Lions-Quest; empowers the disabled through vocational training, and promotes health by equipping clinics and hospitals. LCIF has awarded US$375 million in grants since it began in 1968, including a US$9 million commitment to Special Olympics. Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with nearly 1.35 million members in 45,000 clubs in 197 countries and geographic areas. Lions are men and women who volunteer their time to humanitarian causes and answer the needs that challenge the communities of the world. Founded in 1917, the association's motto is "We Serve." Visit www.lionsclubs.org to learn more about Lions Clubs International. Lions are recognized worldwide for their service to the blind and visually impaired, including collecting and recycling eyeglasses for distribution in developing countries and treating millions of people to prevent river blindness. This commitment began in 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions international convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Since that time, Lions clubs have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually impaired. One of the thousands of Lions Clubs volunteers worldwide who assist with registration and other tasks at Opening Eyes screenings, on duty at the First Special Olympics Latin America Games, 28 March-2 April 2006 in El Salvador. [Photo by Dr. Stephen Corbin] In 2001, the Lions Clubs International Foundation awarded Special Olympics the first grant in its seven-year, US$9 million commitment. Together, these two organizations work to bring proper eye care to more Special Olympics athletes around the globe, and will also open the world's eyes to the reality that people with intellectual disabilities deserve the same quality vision care to which every person is entitled. The commitment isn't just financial — the organization also has supported the Opening Eyes program with thousands of volunteers from more than 50 countries. Lions play a crucial volunteer role, assisting with registration, color vision testing, visual acuity tests and distribution of glasses and protective sports goggles. In some cases, members also conduct some of the actual vision tests — for example, over half the optometrists donating their time at one Opening Eyes screening in Michigan were Lions. During the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Clement F. Kusiak, then President of International Association of Lions Clubs, presented Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver with a check for US$3.85 million to continue the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program. Members of the Special Olympics Board of Directors joined in the applause; left to right, Bart Conner, Vice Chair Nadia Comaneci, Kusiak, Shriver, and Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H.      “The lack of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common health conditions directly affects the physical performance of individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as the public's perceptions of their capabilities and competence in every aspect of life,” said Dr. Stephen Corbin, Senior Vice President, Constituent Services and Support and Dean, Special Olympics University. “We are excited about the opportunity to train current and future health-care professionals so we can improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and help break down the barriers to inclusion.” [Photo by Dr. Stephen Corbin] During the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Clem Kusiak, then- President of International Association of Lions Clubs, presented Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver with a check for US$3.85 million to continue the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program. “Meeting the athletes at Special Olympics has given me a new perspective of their capabilities and what they can do to show their strengths and achieve what they put their minds to,” said Kusiak. “I think Opening Eyes is a very important program that will always be with Lions and Special Olympics — working together." At the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, 871 Special Olympics athletes, including this one from Special Olympics Belgium, received vision screenings through the Special Olympics-Lions Club International Opening Eyes® program. [Photo by Stephen Corbin] Opening Eyes volunteers at the World Winter Games had plenty of opportunities to improve lives. In fact, the volunteers had at least 871 chances to impact the life of a Special Olympics athlete during their time in Nagano as they conducted 871 vision screenings. Their success was a powerful example of the impact of the international partnership between Special Olympics and Lions Clubs International. The World Winter Games also provided the opportunity to train Opening Eyes volunteers and health care professionals from around the globe. Kyung-Hwan Shin from South Korea was convinced by his local Lions Club of the importance of treating people with intellectual disabilities. In 2002, he participated and screened more than 200 athletes in his country’s Special Olympics Program. Shin was so successful and inspired that he brought three younger doctors from South Korea with him to Nagano to train so they will be ready to screen athletes in their own country and regionally. Through the leadership of Shriver and former Lions Clubs International Foundation Chairman Frank Moore, Special Olympics and Lions Clubs have partnered to deliver quality education focused on eye care for people with intellectual disabilities, resulting in “Opening Eyes to Intellectual Disability: Improving the Vision of Persons with Intellectual Disability,” a world-class academic curriculum. The curriculum was presented to Kusiak by Shriver during the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan to demonstrate the level of commitment both organizations have made to the partnership. This two-year project already has received commitments to implement the program from international associations and academic institutions, including the World Council of Optometry, the American Optometric Association, the Illinois College of Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College in China and many others. The Washington D.C. (Special Olympics) Lions Club The Washington D.C. (Special Olympics) Lions Club was chartered in 2001 and includes Special Olympics athletes as members. Like other Lions, members of the Club volunteer for local charitable activities. The D.C. Club's mission is "to strive, through service and outreach, to unify and strengthen our community to create a more inclusive world." In 2002 the Washington D.C. (Special Olympics) Lions Club presented a US$3,000 check to Special Olympics District of Columbia to support its Healthy Athletes initiative. Left to right: Steve Hocker, Executive Director, Special Olympics District of Columbia; David Evangelista, Washington D.C. (Special Olympics) Lions Club President; Keith Lyon, Shantae Polk, Lions Club; Marianelly Johnson, Special Olympics District of Columbia Director of Finance and Administration; Brian Ullman, Special Olympics District of Columbia Director of Marketing and Development; Kester Edwards and Brindisi Chan, Lions Club. David Evangelista, the Club President at the time of inception, said, "It is the hope of the Club that more events can be organized to provide further support to the community." At the time the Club was chartered he noted, "There is so much potential with the talents and energies that this Club possesses. We expect great things." The Club "enables the very people served by the Lions Clubs' grant to give back to the community through the Lions' effective community-based Club structure," said Dr. Stephen Corbin, Senior Vice President, Constituent Services and Support and Dean, Special Olympics University. Special Olympics athletes "have all kinds of talents, skills and abilities that often go untapped. This Club opens the door to these people and for other Lions Clubs around the world to welcome members of this population." The Club, which is legally and functionally independent of Special Olympics, grew out the partnership between Special Olympics and the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).