ELLSWORTH – On Monday, Feb. 27, the Ellsworth Lions held its monthly membership meeting in the Ellsworth Elementary School Community Room. We hosted a guest speaker, Gerry Ries, from the Hudson Lions. Ries serves as the District Eye Bank Coordinator.

The Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin (LEBW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and team of professionals and volunteers, dedicated to the mission of restoring the gift of sight through recovery and transplantation of corneas, research to advance the knowledge and treatment of eye diseases, and education to increase donations. Our ultimate goal is to improve people’s quality of life through the gift of sight. The eye bank began in 1953 and has a 99% success rate for cornea transplants. In Wisconsin alone, of the 1,030 donations made in 2022, 722 residents received a transplant. The remainder went throughout the US and internationally. Corneas and eye tissues are transported by volunteers. The Ellsworth Lions have three members certified to transport.

How can the residents of the Ellsworth area support the gift of sight? Become an organ and tissue donor. When you renew your driver license or state-issued identification card, indicate you are a donor. Inform your family and friends of your wish to be a donor. 

We also received an eye-opening presentation from the organizers of the new Panther Closet initiative. We approved a donation of $750. “We serve” is the motto of Lions International and your local Lions members volunteer to support our community, near and far.

The following members were elected to serve as Club Officers for the 2023-2024 year:

Directors: Cindi Hart, Jeff Miller, Mary Ayala and Trent Nyhus

Tail Twister: Chuck Kreye

Lion Tamer: Rosemary Matzek

Membership Director: Sharlene Kreye

Treasurer: Jay Nesseth

Secretary: Stacey Nesseth

President: Kristi Miller

Our next membership meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 27 at Ellsworth Elementary School Community Room (445 S. Piety St., Ellsworth.) Guests are welcome to explore what becoming a Lion member is all about. If you would like to be considered for a presentation on the agenda, please email EllsworthLions@gmail.com. 

Submitted by Kristi Miller