Last year, the Eden Prairie Lions Club collected about 8,000 pairs of used eyeglasses as part of Lions Clubs International’s mission to improve vision worldwide.
This year, the local club hopes to do even better.
“We are dedicated to helping people see better,” said Larry Frisvold, eyeglasses chair for the Eden Prairie chapter, which was founded in 1961 and has 110 members.
Frisvold has a personal connection to vision issues: His wife, Cheri, underwent corneal transplants in her late 30s due to a condition diagnosed in her teens.
The global organization, established in 1917, is widely recognized for its efforts to collect used eyeglasses to assist individuals with vision impairments in developing countries.
Items collected in Eden Prairie are sent to facilities like the Wisconsin Lions Foundation Eyeglass Recycling Center, where they are cleaned, repaired, and sorted by prescription before distribution.
Donations of prescription glasses, reading glasses, and sunglasses are welcomed, with a particular need for children’s glasses. Cases are not accepted, as contributions are limited to eyeglasses and frames. The club also accepts hearing aids for recycling, collecting 25 sets last year.
If you’re considering getting glasses, hearing aids, or both through this program, think again. Giving away free eyeglasses and hearing aids is prohibited in the United States. These donations are sent overseas, primarily to developing countries.
Drop-off locations include collection boxes across Eden Prairie, including the Eden Prairie Community Center, city hall, Walmart, Jerry’s Foods, Star Bank, VisionWorks, LensCrafters, and Pearle Vision in the Eden Prairie Center mall.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide have a vision impairment, and at least 1 billion of these cases could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed.
Lions Clubs International also supports causes such as childhood cancer, diabetes, disaster relief, environmental protection, hunger relief, and youth programs.
To learn more about the Eden Prairie Lions Club and its initiatives, visit its website.
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