HELEN KELLER said at the 1925 Lions Club International convention, “Try to imagine how you would feel if you were suddenly stricken blind today. I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?”
The Lions accepted Keller’s challenge and worked globally and locally to change lives and save vision. In Lincoln County, the mission of the Fayetteville Lions Club is to eradicate vision impairment and its devastating consequences one life at a time.
Their youngest-age program, KidSight, screens children in Fayetteville and Lincoln County day cares, Head Start centers, preschools, and kindergartens. Lion Martha Wolf, the program’s chairperson, and her team of volunteers capture digital images of each child’s eyes with a revolutionary digital camera, revealing potential vision problems that might otherwise go undetected. The Plusoptix vision screener used by the Lions Club can detect the most prevalent vision disorders in children from 12 to 70 months of age.
Wolf said, “I taught at Highland Rim School for 37 years and was always grateful when the Lions Club tested the eyes and ears of my second graders. I had many parents thank me for helping them get glasses for their child and for letting them know because it was a good way to help their child do much better in school.”
Excited to be a part of the club and its program that helped her students, Wolf shares the group’s passion for serving others with their time and energy.
“It’s a big job to schedule all those screening sessions! In 2022, we screened 478 children and referred 48 with 56 hours of lions’ service,” she said.
Under the leadership of Lion Don Combs, a team of volunteers screens over 2,000 children in kindergarten, second, fourth, sixth, and eighth grades, ensuring that no student is left behind. Their work ensures that every child can learn and thrive, unhindered by vision or hearing challenges.
“We do the eyesight and the hearing at the same time, except for kindergartners. [If we see a problem], we bring it up to the nurse, and they can send a note home to the parents and let them know we will pay for the glasses if they can’t afford them. The nurses and teachers are the biggest help we’ve got. They know the children and are very helpful in getting them to us so we can get in and out without disturbing the schools,” said Combs.
In 2022, the Fayetteville Lions screened 2,013 students and referred 312 for sight and 93 for hearing to the school nurses for further evaluation.
But the Lions’ mission extends far beyond schools. Recognizing the plight of those facing financial hardship, they provide the total cost of comprehensive eye exams and eyeglasses to 75 to 100 Lincoln County residents in need. They exclude the Petersburg community, which the Petersburg Lions Club serves.
Lion Bill Thomison, the program’s coordinator, works closely with local eye doctors to secure discounted prices. It’s a joint effort between the club and local providers.
“This program couldn’t exist without the help of the doctors in our community that provide exams and eyeglasses: Dr. Daniel Dejarnatt, Dr. William Womble, and Mallard Eye Care/Walmart,” said Thomison.
Concerning the people they serve, Thomison said, “The people [who apply] fall into four categories: young students who are referred to us by teachers, elderly who have diminished sight and income, unemployed who need glasses to get a job, and disabled who need to see better to improve their lives. In all cases, it’s improved the quality of the life of the people we’ve served because you can’t do well if you can’t see well.”
For those battling the effects of macular degeneration, the Lions Club offers a lifeline in the form of closed-circuit TV. These tabletop devices enlarge text and images placed under its magnifier and displayed on a large screen. The invaluable tools provide a window to the world, allowing individuals to continue pursuing hobbies and maintaining independence.
In addition, the club offers hope for those facing dimming vision caused by cataracts. They work closely with the Middle Tennessee Lions Sight Services (MTLSS) to provide financial assistance for cataract surgeries, restoring sight, and transforming lives.
Lion Chris Ross, vice president of the MTLSS and past president of the Fayetteville Lions Club, said, “We have a great working relationship with Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and Vanderbilt University, our main surgery centers. The doctors provide their services at a reduced cost, and we pay the surgical center and anesthesia fees. We have an application process, and if they meet the requirements and aren’t insured, we’re going to take care of that person.”
All applications must be submitted through the Fayetteville or Petersburg Lions Clubs.
Lion Blake Copple, current president of the Fayetteville Lions Club, said, “Our club is proud of our long tradition of focus on vision programs. We have been doing screening in schools since at least 1954 when our primary screener was Kitty Alexander, the wife of Charter Member Harold. But our club also provides additional community services beyond these vision projects, each with its own chairperson and committee. In that way, our club can accomplish more service, and our members can develop their own leadership skills and choose the projects that they are most passionate about.”
The club remains committed to Keller’s charge as “knights of the blind in a crusade against darkness.” Their unwavering dedication and selfless acts of kindness serve as a testament to the transformative power of human compassion, illuminating lives and restoring hope one vision at a time. GN
