Members of the Murray Lions Club along with members of the Hazel Lions and Murray State Lions will be at Wal-Mart, Kroger and Food Giant in Murray, KY this Friday and Saturday to raise funds as part of their annual Candy Day drive. Funds donated by the community will be used to support Lions eyesight conservation activities such as KidSight which provides free vision screening to all Pre-K and Head Start children in the local community. One half of all funds raised goes to support the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation.

Founded in 1954, The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation (KLEF) is a charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to prevent and cure blindness by supporting research, and operating eye clinics and eye banks. The foundation’s activities are supported through funds contributed by Kentucky Lions Clubs, individual members, businesses, benefactors, memorials and bequests.

 KLEF has supported eye research in Kentucky for more than 60 years. In 1968, the Lions raised $2.2 million to build the Kentucky Lions Eye Research Institute. In 1985, $1 million was raised to endow a University of Louisville Ophthalmology research chair. $350,000 was raised in 1999 to start the Children’s Eye Clinic at the Kentucky Lions Eye Center. The list of accomplishments by the KLEF continues to grow each year.