Thank You to Our Missouri State Fair Volunteers!

The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation and Heartland Lions Eye Banks recently sponsored a booth at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. During the Fair, thanks to assistance from our generous Lions volunteers, Foundation staff members screened 234 children for amblyopia and 370 adults for glaucoma. We also spread the word about eye, organ and tissue donation and registered individuals as potential donors through Missouri's first-person online donor registry.

A big thank you goes to the following Lions volunteers for their hard work during Fair Week:

The Foundation will also be hosting additional public screenings in the next few months. For more information on any of these events or to volunteer, please contact the Foundation at 800-753-2265, ext. 8518 or info@mlerf.org:

• Columbia Farmers Market Glaucoma Detection Screening, October 3, 2009, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. (in partnership with Columbia 20/20 Lions Club)
• Saint Louis Science Center Amblyopia Prevention Screening, November 11, 2009, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Kansas City Farm Show Amblyopia Prevention Screening, February 19-21, 2010

2009/2010 Foundation Giving Goals

Since the beginning of this fiscal year, more and more Missourians are turning to the Foundation to receive the vision screenings and eye care they desperately need.

To keep up with this growing demand, the Foundation is focused on expanding our services throughout Missouri all year long. In fact, we’re on track to screen 30,000 preschoolers for amblyopia and 2,500 adults for glaucoma – a 50% and a 33% increase over last fiscal year.

By contributing to the Foundation and volunteering your time, you and your Lions Club play crucial roles in helping us deliver our programs to those most in need. This year, the Lions giving goal is set at $212,000 – an 11% increase over last year’s total amount given of $190,904.

With this additional funding, the Foundation can continue to increase all of our community vision programs, including Amblyopia Prevention Screening, Glaucoma Detection Screening, Eye Care Assistance and Eyeglass Recycling. Contact the Foundation development department at info@mlerf.org or 800-283-1982, ext. 107 to learn more about contributing to the Foundation’s mission and to discover how we can help you with fundraising efforts in your district.

Thanks to your generous help, the Missouri Lions and the Foundation can continue to help your neighbors right in your own community.

Top 10 Foundation Contributors for 7/1/09 - 8/31/09

The following lists the Top 10 Giving Lions Clubs for the current fiscal year to date.

• Concordia Lions - $1,513
• Maryville Host Lions - $1,500
• Poplar Bluff Lions - $1,000
• Morrisville Lions - $500
• Buffalo Lions - $500
• Shelbina Lions - $500
• Jefferson City Breakfast Lions - $500
• Madison Lions - $500
• Higginsville Lions - $225
• Amazonia Lions - $200

Spread the Word About Virtual Ambassador

Are there Lions members in your club who do not currently receive MLERF's Virtual Ambassador newsletter? Encourage them to sign up today on the MLERF web site. Registration takes just minutes and will keep them on top of the latest happenings at the Foundation.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

Foundation Board of Directors Meeting
September 12, 9 a.m.
University Plaza Hotel, Arkansas Room
333 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway
Springfield, MO 65806

Celebration of Sight
September 15, 4:30 p.m.
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Hwy 61 South
Crystal City, MO 63019
For more information, please call 800-283-1982.

Foundation Board of Directors Meeting
December 5, 9:00 a.m.
Foundation Library
404 Portland St.
Columbia, MO 65201

Foundation board meetings are open to all Missouri Lions. For more information, contact info@mlerf.org.