Former President Jimmy Carter (left) founder of the Carter Centre has worked in tandem with Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to bring an end to preventable causes of blindness on a global scale. Photo Credit: LCIF website.
Westport Lions Roar
By Lion Bob Reddick
“I have a feeling of gratitude for what Lions do throughout the world. Lions have changed my life. But I think even more gratifying to me is to go into a village in Africa or Latin America and see people who have suffered all their lives and know that they will never again go blind.”– Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter(LCIF website)
Former President James Earl Carter was a Lion member for over 70 years, and in that time, he consistently embodied the Lion motto, “To Serve.”
Mr. Carter passed away at the age of 100 on Dec. 27, 2024. People around the world celebrated his life and accomplishments. President Joe Biden described him, “a man of principle, faith and humility.” One of his grandsons said that his grandfather, “waged peace, anywhere in the world.”
Mr. Carter followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Plains Lions Club in 1953, just a week after he resigned from the Navy. During his term as club president in 1957-58, the Plains club built and began operating a community swimming pool. Additionally, the club was involved in blindness prevention projects in Georgia and Honduras.
“Lions changed my life,” said former president Jimmy Carter. “I would have never been ambitious enough to run for Governor of Georgia. I would have never dreamed of being President of the United States if it were not for the Lions.”
Lion Carter found that Lionism is a great way to engage in public service. It helped him to expand his horizons, and he credits the many lessons he learned while serving his community as helping him in his career as a politician and peacemaker. He says the Lions’ commitment to service showed him the importance of caring for others.
Holding Lion positions of zone chairperson, district governor, and chairperson of the Council of Governors in Georgia gave him a visible involvement with the Lions. This high profile with the 208 clubs throughout the state of Georgia helped him immensely with his campaign for governor in 1970. During his presidential campaign in 1976, he tributes his “civic involvement as a Lion contributed to my identity as a community leader.”
After leaving the White House, Mr. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, founded The Carter Centre in 1982. Its mandate was to advance human rights and diminish human suffering around the world. The Centre’s slogan is Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, and Building Hope.
In 1994, the Carter Centre partnered with Lions International Foundation (LCIF) SightFirst program to address two blinding diseases, trachoma and river blindness. River blindness is a vector-borne parasitic disease that leads to blindness, and trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide.
Since 1994, the partnership has led to more than 257 million treatments to eliminate river blindness and over 191 million treatments to halt the blinding effects of trachoma. Additionally, more than 820,000 sight-saving surgeries have been performed to address advanced stages of trachoma, and over 3.2 million latrines have been constructed to help reduce the transmission of infections. During this period, LCIF has approved more than 60 grants for river blindness and trachoma, totaling over $67 million. (LCIF website)
With funding from LCIF, local Lions clubs help mobilize communities to participate in prescription drug distribution, eyelid surgery campaigns, and construction of latrines. Lions provide ongoing technical support, monitor progress, and engage with influential leaders in their countries to advocate for continued attention to river blindness and trachoma.
LCIF and The Carter Center believe in the power of partnerships. No single organization or country can hope to eliminate tropical diseases like river blindness and trachoma on its own. As we see today, conquering these dreaded diseases and viruses takes the efforts and cooperation of many diverse teams.
Westport Lions Club 