Lions’ Eyeglasses Drive Rolls Along

January was a robust month for Wahiawa Lions and their fellow clubs statewide. The local group accepted 368 pairs of used eyeglasses — plus one hearing aid — Jan. 10 and 24 at its collection table at Longs Drugs in Wahiawa Shopping Center.

The club also collected monetary donations of $102 that will go to Hawaii Lions Foundation. Statewide, the campaign amassed more than 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses that will be cleaned, wrapped and shipped overseas for distribution, or sent to the Mainland for further processing.

Many of the donated spectacles are used by medical and church missions in the Far East, where eye care is generally nonexistent and where simple reading glasses can correct many vision problems.

The Jan. 10 collection commemorated the birth of Lions Clubs International founder Melvin Jones. It also was part of an international Lions effort, Lions Worldwide Week of Service Jan. 10-16.

Those who forgot can still donate by bringing their glasses to the club’s Wahiawa collection points, such as Bank of Hawaii, First Hawaiian Bank, Sawada Store, the medical clinic in Medical Arts Building, most Wahiawa public schools and the offices of Dr. Arthur Kobayashi, Dr. Yvette Hida, and CPA Donald Sagara.