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December 2011
In This Issue
Happy Holidays from LEBDV
In Memoriam
2011 Polgar Brunch
Honoring Cornea Donors and Their Families
Lions Eye Bank Week
Reminder:

Give To The Eye Bank Through Your Local United Way; Use Agency Code 5627 

 

Contact the Eye Bank to
schedule a presentation
at your next meeting

 

Don't Miss The Boat! Eye Bank Cruise sails the Panama Canal February 7, 2012.  Call the Eye Bank and get on board.  

 

Do you have old convention pins cluttering up a drawer at home? 

Recycle them through LEBDV and you may even get a small tax deduction. 

Contact Jim Quirk at 1-800-743-6667

 

Donate Life Icon 

Register to become an eye, organ and tissue donor today!

News and Events

 

 Board of Trustees Meeting 

March 15, 2011    

 

March Is National   Eye Donor Month 

 

April Is National   Donate Life Month    

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Happy Holidays from LEBDV

On behalf of the recipients and donor families we serve, the Board of Trustees and Staff of the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley extend best wishes to you and your family during the holiday season.

At this special time of the year, as we reflect upon the miracles associated with the season, the Eye Bank is appreciative of all who helped create the miracle of sight in 2011.

We were privileged to serve hundreds of donors and their families who made the selfless decision to donate their loved ones' corneas. Through the generosity of donors and their families, your Eye Bank has coordinated 993 surgeries this year (through the week ending December 9th). Recipients experience low and/or diminishing vision and need a cornea transplant for various illnesses or injuries. There is no substitution for a human cornea.

Your Eye Bank has coordinated over 35,000 cornea transplant surgeries since 1957. Our accomplishments only happened when donors and /or their families said "yes" to donation. Additionally, recipients were under the care of members of our Medical Advisory Board and other ophthalmologists throughout the Delaware Valley - all top-notch in their fields of expertise. We are all very fortunate to have such skilled practitioners working through the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley.

Many individuals and organizations participated in different projects and activities during 2011. To all of you, thank you for your thoughtfulness and efforts which allowed us to better care for and offer assistance to those who needed a cornea transplant as well as donors and their families who donated the needed cornea.

I personally wish you peace this holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

 

Jim Quirk

President and COO

Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley 

 

In Memoriam

 

William Alfred Huebner served on the Eye Bank Board of Trustees from 2004 until his death on December 6, 2011. Past District Governor Huebner was Vice President/Chief Financial Officer for an engineering firm.Because of his professional expertise, he served on the Eye Bank's budget/finance; investment and endowment committees. He was a member of Pennsylvania District 14-P West Goshen Lions Club and also enjoyed participating in Lions State level activities. He shared 49 years of marriage with Lion Peg Huebner who was also very giving of her time and talents to the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley. On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Eye Bank, we thank Bill for his many years of dedicated service. We wish Peg and Bill's family peace and comfort. 

 

2011 Polgar Brunch 

Polgar Fellows and their invited guests attended the November 20th brunch at Radnor Valley Country Club in Villanova.  This is the 5th annual brunch in recognition of those who donated $1,000 to become Polgar Fellows. A Polgar Fellowship is the highest honor of the Endowment Fund which was established in 2005.  The Fund is designed to ensure the Eye Bank continues to achieve its mission of providing the 'Gift of Sight'.  


Keynote speaker and the fund's namesake, Lions Past International Director Gene Polgar, challenged attendees to consider achieving higher support levels through progressive memberships in the Endowment Fund.  Every additional  $1,000 contribution is a progressive membership and  donations can be divided into a payment schedule  tailored to the financial donor.
 
At the event, initial fellowships were awarded to Lion Gary Hilbert, Michelle Quirk and Allen Rosenberg bringing the total Fellows to 142. Many Fellows have received Progressive fellowships.  At this year's event, progressive fellowships were again award to PDG George Bonadio, PCC Melvyn Bray and PDG Richard Zimmermann, Jr.   PDG Zimmermann received special recognition for his distinguished level of leadership as a supporter of the Endowment Fund.  Unable to attend were new Fellows Lion Edwards Meyers, Dr. Theordore Rosenberg and Frances Townsend- Coleman.  Mrs. Townsend -Coleman received her award at the November Board Meeting.

 

PDG Richard Zimmermann, middle, is congratulated by Endowment Co-chairs, left, PCC Mel Bray and PDG Jim Minnnich


Eye Bank Volunteer Frances Townsend-Coleman receives a Polgar Fellowship at the November 2011 Board Meeting


Polgar Fellowship recipient Gary Hilbert and his wife Paula.

 


 
Eye Bank President Jim Quirk joins the Endowment Co-Chairmen in congratulating his wife, Michelle Quirk, on her induction into the Polgar Fellowship.

 
Lion Allen Rosenberg of New Jersey receives his award from PCC Mel Bray
 

PCC Mel Bray is congratulated on his progressive Fellowship by his wife Lion Ginny Bray
 

PDG George Bonadio, second from left with his wife Lion Nancy Bonadio, receives his progressive award and congratulations
Honoring Cornea Donors and Their Families

 

Each Fall,  the Eye Bank joins the Gift of Life Donor Program -this region's organ procurement organization - in honoring donors who gave the gift of life and sight to many awaiting transplants.  In October and November,  Eye Bank cornea recipient volunteers attended the Donor Recognition Ceremonies held in various locations in the tri-state area.

 

Donor families who experienced donation during 2010 are invited to attend the ceremony honoring their families for saving someone's life or sight.  All transplant speakers shared their compelling stories and thanked donor families for their generosity.

 

The Eye Bank wishes to acknowledge the following cornea transplant volunteers for sharing their stories:  New Jersey Lion Joan Lytkowski who spoke at the New Jersey ceremonies, Pennsylvania Lion Norman Mason who addressed King of Prussia attendees.  Both Joan and Norman are members of NACT - National Ambassadors for Cornea Transplant - and are long time eye bank volunteers. In Delaware, gathered donor family and friends were comforted by Leslie Green Shapiro, a community theatre actress, who received two cornea transplants.

 

Lions Eye Bank Week

 

Lions Clubs International (LCI) is the world's largest service club organization with 1.35 millions members in more than 46,000 clubs worldwide.  Each December LCI encourages Lions clubs to celebrate (through tours and awareness activities) Lions Eye Bank Week and honor the contributions of Lions in this valuable sight-saving program.  Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley was organized in 1957 by volunteer Lions.  On December 2nd,  District Governor Ken Chew and Cabinet Members from Delaware's Lions  District 22-D toured the Eye Bank together with two Lions Clubs International Directors:  Robert Corlew and his wife Lion Diane Corlew from Tennessee and  from Delaware Ted Reiver and his wife, Eye Bank Trustee Lion Ann Reiver.   International Director Corlew was the keynote speaker at Lions District Governor Ken Chew's Governor's Ball.