The Amherst Lions Club is soliciting your support for an effort called Campaign Sight First II (CSFII), which is spearheaded by Lions Clubs International.  The campaign, whose goal is to cure and prevent avoidable blindness worldwide, is a continuation of the Campaign Sight First I, which has saved or restored the sight of 24 million people in 188 countries, including the United States, since 1990. 

One form of preventable blindness, River Blindness, is an insect borne disease that threatens 100 million people in Latin America and has blinded millions.  Lions Clubs International has partnered with the Carter Center and drug companies, including Pfizer and Merck, to provide and administer a drug that has saved the sight of millions in Latin America.  CFSII aims to eliminate this debilitating disease in the next 5 years.

It is estimated that less than 5% of the world’s 124 million sight impaired children currently receive help and that the number of sight-impaired children will double in the next 20 years unless preventative action is taken. In 2006, Lions Club International, which includes the Amherst Lions Club, initiated CSFII in order to provide the physical and financial resources to address this issue.  The goal of CSFII is to raise $150M - $200M over a five year period to support CSFII.

On average, for every $6 raised during this campaign, the sight of one person will be saved.

The Amherst Lions Club committed to raise a minimum of forty thousand dollars over a five-year period to support CSFII.  In addition to corporate sponsorships, club members are making individual contributions and holding additional fund raising events in the community. The Amherst Lions Club, as of March 2008, has already raised and sent $24,000 to Lions Club International for CSFII.