Chowchilla Lions participate in White Cane Days

Chowchilla Lioness Lions Club members will be in front of local businesses on Oct. 3 and 4 to give the community the opportunity to donate to White Cane Days.

Local members will be handing out the familiar miniature white canes for a donation to their local sight conservation programs.

Historically, Lions International began its work in sight conservation following a presentation of Helen Keller at their 1925 convention. Keller challenged all Lions to become “Knights of the Blind.”

An Illinois Lion, George Bonham, was the person credited with the concept of a red-tipped white cane to make the blind more mobile and at the same time to have sighted people have a means of identifying the blind. This concept is now universally adopted as the emblem of the blind.

Chairwoman Rita Cornaggia says the Chowchilla Lioness Lions Club has paid for eye exams and eye glasses for elementary-age children in Chowchilla whose parents could not afford the exams.

The club also is collecting used eye glasses, used hearing aids and coats. The items may be dropped off at any White Cane location on Oct. 3 or 4 or at 809 Robertson Blvd. on the front porch at anytime.

This story was originally published September 25, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Chowchilla Lions participate in White Cane Days."