Restoring sight continues to be an inspiration for many Lions. The eye testing for the special Olympians is a particularly compelling story.

There is a correlation between poor eyesight with Down Syndrome, which often goes undetected. When the Special Olympics were run in New Zealand Lions undertook to give a sight test to every young Special Olympian.

One young girl on seeing her mother clearly for the first time publicly declared how lucky she was to have such a beautiful mother. Another was delighted that she wouldn’t need her mother’s help to go to the toilet any more as she could see for herself.

These are the gifts that inspire and motivate Lions.

Photo: Special Olympians line up for a team picture.