LETTER: Lions tested the vision of more than 1,000 elementary students

To Ozaukee Press:

Thanks for sending over the Ozaukee Press photographer for our school vision screening today. I’m going to take this opportunity to brag about the Lions.

  So far this school year, the Port Washington Lions, with assistance fromCedarburg, Grafton and Thiensville-Mequon Lions, have performed preliminary vision screening tests on 1,108 students in grades K-7 in the Port Washington-Saukville School District. Of this total, 140 (12.6%), were referred for further evaluation by a professional.

  In addition, the Lions also provide assistance to eligible individuals to receive an eye exam and glasses. This year we have helped two elderly individuals, one high school student and two middle school students with this program.

  Lions Clubs International started as a service organization in Chicago in 1917 as a dream of insurance executive Melvin Jones. Our motto is “We Serve.” In 1925 Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become the ‘knights of sight’ for the blind and vision impaired. Since then, Lions worldwide have assisted individuals with vision problems through education, vision screening, used eye glass collection and distribution and leader dog training programs.

  Vision and hearing assistance, hunger assistance, environmental improvement, diabetes awareness and childhood cancer, are the main initiatives of the Lions.

The Port Washington Lions have been serving this community in numerous ways for over 50 years. Our club of 61 men and women is a representative mixture of the Port Washington community and we are always eager to welcome individuals interested in joining our club or finding out more and our programs. We meet the second and fourth Wednesday evenings of the month at Plier’s Full Circle Pub and Restaurant. I am the membership chair, and anyone interested in joining our club can contact me at 262-339-7879.

Ralph Luedtke

Port Washington