Columbus Lions Club to host White Cane Day

The Columbus Lions Club will host its annual White Cane Day on Saturday, Oct. 14.

Lion Steve McCullough is the Chairman of this year’s one-day event. October is Vision Awareness month globally. White Cane Days are days set aside throughout the month where Lions Club members across the country go out into their communities to increase awareness of the white cane safety laws and raise money for the blind and visually impaired.

On Oct. 14, Columbus Lions Club members will be at HEB, Brookshire Brothers and AL&M from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.

All proceeds will go to local organizations to help provide “Kidsight” eye screening and eyeglasses to children in need. The Lions will also accept used eye wear to be repaired, recycled and distributed to people in need of glasses.

In June of 1925 at a Lions International convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, Miss Helen Keller challenged the Lions of America to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness” and band together to serve the blind and needy with impaired vision. Since then, Lions Clubs host special days each year to raise money for the blind and visually impaired.

Throughout the world, the long white cane is used by people who are blind or visually impaired as a tool for safe and reliable navigation. The white cane is a symbol of the user’s skills and talents, mobility and independence. It also allows the sighted person to recognize that the user is visually impaired.

Today, white cane laws are official in every state as well as in other countries to provide the blind with a legal status in traffic. In 1964, Congress approved a resolution authorizing the president to annually issue a proclamation designating Oct. 15 as “National White Cane Safety Day.” In 1969, the International Federation of the Blind adopted the day as “International White Cane Safety Day”.

Lions Clubs International is the largest service club organization in the world. Its 1.4 million members in more than 46,000 clubs are serving communities in 207 countries and geographical areas around the globe.

Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired, championed youth initiatives and strengthened local communities through handson service and humanitarian projects.

Lions are a global service network of volunteers that make a difference in their local communities. The motto of the Lions Club is “We Serve.” The Columbus Lions Club, which now has 89 members, meets at noon the first four Mondays each month at Schobels restaurant.