Lions Club International
Lions and Our Eye Bank
The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank was founded in 1982 by the Lions Clubs of Colorado and Wyoming. Lions Clubs International has a long history with eye banks around the world. We are proud of our connection to Lions and their service to our sight-saving mission.
We Serve
Lions began providing support for eye banks more than 60 years ago. Today, there are Lions eye banks in nine countries. All Lions eye banks are not-for-profit organizations that must:
- be sponsored by a Lions club or district
- operate within established LCI board policy
- establish a working relationship with a medical facility
- appoint Lions in good standing to serve as the majority of board of director members
- comply with government medical and education standards.
Serving the International Community
Lions eye banks, including the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, try to fulfill the "We Serve" motto.
RMLEB also serves an international community, just as Lions do. Since eye banks do not exist in every country, Lions eye banks often provide healthy corneas to eye doctors in other countries. At the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, for example, donated eye tissues are first placed with recipients on a local transplant waiting list. If a suitable recipient cannot be found locally, a search is conducted with other eye banks in the United States. If a suitable recipient still cannot be found, a search is conducted through international networks to find a recipient in other parts of the world. In this way, no transplantable cornea is ever wasted.
Support for Lions Eye Banks
The cost of operating a nonprofit Lions eye bank includes maintaining a professional staff and purchasing medical equipment. At the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, the ever increasing cost of jet fuel and compliance with governmental regulations has had an impact on costs. Financial support from Lions helps the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank to continue its sight-saving mission.