Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation

08/08/2024

SAVE THE DATE: September 12, 2024

We are proud to announce that we will again be participating in this year! Please join us in this day of giving to support our sight saving programs and services. Thanks to a generous challenge match of $10,000 from the Louisville Downtown Lions Club, your gift could be doubled!

Visit www.https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organization/Kentucky-Lions-Eye-Foundation to learn more!

08/08/2024

08/07/2024

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

We are looking for several more smiling faces and helping hands to help at our FREE vision screening booth at the Kentucky State Fair . We are especially short on our afternoon shifts (2 PM - 7 PM ET). If you would like to come enjoy the fair AND give back, please contact [email protected] to sign up. You DO NOT need any medical experience and you DO NOT have to be a Lions Club member to volunteer. This is a great opportunity for high school and college age students up to 85+ years young. Training is provided on site and you will receive FREE parking and FREE entrance into the fair on the day that you volunteer.

Here are the dates that we still have open and the number of volunteers that we are looking for:

Monday, August 19th – 2nd shift 11 people
Tuesday, August 20th – 1st shift 4 people and 2nd shift 3 people
Wednesday, August 21st – 2nd shift 7 people
Thursday, August 22nd – 2nd shift 9 people
Friday, August 23rd – 2nd shift 12 people
Saturday, August 24th – 2nd shift 10 people

If you or your group would like to volunteer, please email [email protected] before August 9th to sign up. Volunteer slots are available first come, first served.

08/06/2024

Remembering to wear your shades this summer?

If you're planning to bring your little ones to the Kentucky State Fair Fair this year, please stop by our booth in the Health Horizons area of South Wing B and take just a few minutes to let our volunteers take a photo of your child's eyes. This quick screening can detect vision impairments or problems that you may not be aware of. Each child who goes through the screening will get a FREE pair of children's sunglasses to take home! We hope to see you at the fair!

08/05/2024

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

We are looking for several more smiling faces and helping hands to help at our FREE vision screening booth at the Kentucky State Fair . We are especially short on our afternoon shifts (2 PM - 7 PM ET). If you would like to come enjoy the fair AND give back, please contact [email protected] to sign up. You DO NOT need any medical experience and you DO NOT have to be a Lions Club member to volunteer. This is a great opportunity for high school and college age students up to 85+ years young. Training is provided on site and you will receive FREE parking and FREE entrance into the fair on the day that you volunteer.

Here are the dates that we still have open and the number of volunteers that we are looking for:

Monday, August 19th – 2nd shift 11 people
Tuesday, August 20th – 1st shift 4 people and 2nd shift 3 people
Wednesday, August 21st – 2nd shift 12 people
Thursday, August 22nd – 2nd shift 9 people
Friday, August 23rd – 2nd shift 12 people
Saturday, August 24th – 2nd shift 10 people

If you or your group would like to volunteer, please email [email protected] before August 9th to sign up. Volunteer slots are available first come, first served.

08/03/2024

It's time to schedule that back to school eye exam!

08/02/2024

We are just 10 weeks away from our 10th Annual Drive 4 Sight Golf Scramble and what an amazing 10 years it has been! We encourage everyone who has supported the scramble at some point in our history to support this years event to help make it the BEST yet! We are still looking for several $125 hole sponsors! If you would like to sponsor or participate please visit www.kylionseye.org/golf or email [email protected].

08/02/2024

Happy Friday! It's time for another round of . Today we want to introduce you to our 2024-25 KLEF President, PDG Mac Ferguson. Lion Mac is a member of the Lexington Lions Club where he is the current Chairman of the Lexington Lions Club Bluegrass Fair and is a Past President (2015-2016).

During his time as a Lion, Mac has received numerous awards and honors and has been involved in many offices including: Past Region Chair, Past Zone Chair, Past Chairman of the District Convention, Member of the KLEF 20/20 Club, KLEF Life Patron, Committee for Mr./Ms. Kentucky High School Basketball Awards Ceremony and District Governor of MD 43-Y in 2020-2021. He was named Lion of the Year by his home club in 2015, received the KLEF Presidents Award for 2017-2018 and International Presidents Award for Leadership in 2017-2018. He is a Finis Davis Fellow, Melvin Jones Fellow, a Certified Guiding Lion and was inducted into the Lexington Lions Club Hall of Fame in 2022. He is also a member of the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels. Outside of Lionism, Mac also serves on the Board of Directors for the Bluegrass Council of the Blind.

Lion Mac is retired from Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, he and his wife Lion Cynthia reside in Lexington. One adult son, Lion J.P. Ferguson, of Lexington who is also a member of the Lexington Lions Club. Lion Mac is a proud Lion that takes great pleasure in being a member of the world's largest service organization and wants nothing but the best for our Commonwealth of Kentucky. Thank you Lion Mac for your dedication, we are looking forward to working with you during your presidency!

08/01/2024

Happy August! It's so hard to believe that just 2 weeks from today we will be all set up and ready to roll at the first day of the Kentucky State Fair We are still looking for several more smiling faces and helping hands to help at our FREE vision screening booth. We are especially short on our afternoon shifts (2 PM - 7 PM ET). If you would like to come enjoy the fair and give back, please contact [email protected] to sign up. You DO NOT need any medical experience and you DO NOT have to be a Lions Club member to volunteer. This is a great opportunity for high school and college age students up to 85+ years young. Training is provided on site and you will receive FREE parking and FREE entrance into the fair on the day that you volunteer. Here are the dates that we still have open and the number of volunteers that we are looking for:

Friday, August 16th – 2nd shift 10 people
Monday, August 19th – 2nd shift 11 people
Tuesday, August 20th – 1st shift 4 people and 2nd shift 3 people
Wednesday, August 21st – 2nd shift 12 people
Thursday, August 22nd – 2nd shift 9 people
Friday, August 23rd – 2nd shift 12 people
Saturday, August 24th – 2nd shift 10 people

If you or your group would like to volunteer, please email [email protected] before August 9th to sign up. Volunteer slots are available first come, first served.

07/31/2024

Good morning! Our July 2024 KLEF Update is about to hit inboxes! Be the first to check it out here -

Happy New (Fiscal) Year! We kicked off the 2024-2025 fiscal year this month and we are excited about the upcoming year! It's been another crazy busy and great month at KLEF! This newsletter is packed full of information about our recent and upcoming events and we hope that you will take a few moment...

07/26/2024

It's time again! Up next is me, Jennifer Hunt Spurling - our Communications Coordinator. I began my career with KLEF in 2011, making the move to Louisville from Lexington where I lived for five years, spending 3.5 years attending UK and 1.5 years working for Central Bank. I grew up on a dairy farm in Morgantown, KY. With three generations of University of Kentucky graduates in my family, I followed tradition and am a proud graduate of the University of Kentucky. GO CATS!

While living in Louisville I met my husband Ken in 2015 and we married in 2020. In December of 2022 we were fortunate to be able to move back to my hometown to be closer to family and I now work remotely full time for KLEF, traveling to Louisville and throughout Kentucky as needed.

Along with managing multiple forms of communications for KLEF, I am the Patron Program Coordinator, KLEF website developer, event coordinator, accidental IT department and more. Looking back on my time at KLEF, I am very thankful for the opportunity to serve along side such great people who have been great mentors and have allowed me to grow with the organization. In my free time, you can usually find me on the farm working with my sister growing and preparing flowers for weddings and events.

Ken and I love to travel as often as possible and enjoy spending time with our friends, family and spoiling our nieces, nephews and house full of strays. 🐾🐾🐾🐾

07/24/2024

This past Saturday KLEF staff hosted our first trustee meeting of the 2024-25 fiscal year and we had a great meeting with our in person and zoom attendees. Thank you to all of our wonderful board members for your support! We’re looking forward to working with you this year!

07/19/2024

Happy Friday! We are excited to be sharing our KLEF team during these . Today we are proud to introduce you to "the one that everyone knows" - Lion Karen Hayse. Karen will celebrate her 17-year anniversary at KLEF on November 27, 2024. She has lived in Louisville all her life; the youngest of 8 children, she is one of four girls still surviving. She was raised by her sister Jenny & her husband Jim, whom Karen considers her parents; they lost Jenny in January 2022 and Jim in September 2022. Karen is the KidSight Program State Coordinator, she serves as the Holloran Trust Committee Coordinator and works with KLEF staff on vision screenings, special events, and fund-raising efforts. She enjoys working with the Lions of Kentucky and being able to assist those in need. During her off time, Karen loves to spend time with her family and friends, reading, watching home renovation shows, cooking competition shows, Hallmark Channel and enjoys watching lots of different sports. Her favorite sport is Football – GO CARDS!

07/18/2024

One month from TODAY we will be at the Kentucky State Fair to provide FREE vision screenings to anyone who attends the Fair! If you're planning a trip, please remember to stop by and see us for a FREE vision screening for you and the family in the Health Horizons area in the South Wing!

07/16/2024

Join Lindy as she hosts this special edition of our Ask the Expert Interview with our 2024-25 incoming President PDG Mac Ferguson and outgoing 2023-24 President Lion Carol Hollander to discuss their KLEF leadership experiences and plans for the upcoming fiscal year!

Join Lindy as she hosts this special edition of our Ask the Expert Interview with our 2024-25 incoming President PDG Mac Ferguson and outgoing 2023-24 Presid...

07/15/2024

Good morning! Just a quick reminder that TODAY is the last day to receive our early bird pricing when you register to play in our 10th Annual Drive 4 Sight Golf Scramble on October 11, 2024 at Juniper Hill Golf Course! Visit www.kylionseye.org/golf to register today before the price goes up! We are looking forward to seeing our supporters and friends on the course this fall!

07/12/2024

Happy Friday! It's time for ! Today we want to introduce you to our Executive Director, Lindy Lamkin. Lindy, who joined our team in March 2019. As the leader of the organization, Lindy is excited to help KLEF continue to achieve great results that make a difference in the lives of people from across Kentucky and beyond! She is passionate about KLEF's mission and is excited for the new Low Vision Clinic to be a great addition to the existing vision-related programs and services that KLEF provides free of charge to thousands of children and adults every year! Lindy's career experience includes restaurant management in multiple cities, sales positions at two different for-profit companies, and more than 5 years of combined experience working at two nonprofit organizations based in Louisville before joining the KLEF team. Lindy was recognized as an honoree of Business First Louisville's Forty Under 40 2021 class and is a Kentucky Colonel.

Lindy grew up in Louisville as the middle of three children and is a graduate of duPont Manual High School (Louisville, KY) and Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH). She now lives in Georgetown, Indiana with her husband, Todd, their four children, 6-year-old son, Payton, 5-year-old daughter, Makenzie, 3-year-old daughter, Makayla, and 18-month-old daughter, Mallory, along with their two dogs, Tonka and Nala, and 35 chickens. Todd and Lindy are owners of CarePatrol of Kentuckiana, a business that helps families find safer living options for their loved ones when staying at home is no longer an option; this free community service is another way the Lamkins are grateful to help others.

Lindy enjoys entertaining & spending time with her family & friends, gardening, cooking, playing games, spending time outdoors, running, crafting and cherishing every moment with her family! She is thankful for the opportunity to work at KLEF and looks forward to the fiscal year ahead serving along side each of you!

07/09/2024

Just a short 8 weeks from today our KLEF team, MD-43 Lions and Forum organizers from across the USA and Canada will be working to gather all of the last minute details preparing for the 2024 USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum! KLEF is a proud sponsor of the event and we look forward to meeting Lions from across the world and welcoming you all into our hometown of Louisville, KY!

Volunteer opportunities are still available so if you're interested in helping out during the event, please visithttps://lionsforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2024-Forum-Volunteer-Louisville.pdf to sign up to volunteer!

07/08/2024

We are looking forward to seeing so many of our friends and volunteers at the 120th Kentucky State Fair! We still have some volunteer shifts available, so if you're interested in a FREE trip to the Fair, sign up to volunteer a shift with us to provide FREE vision screenings. No medical experience necessary, training is provided on site. Visit www.kylionseye.org/fair to sign up to volunteer!

If you're planning a trip, please remember to stop by and see us for a FREE vision screening for you and the family in the Health Horizons area in the South Wing!

07/07/2024

Did you know that today is ? Tag a friend who loves chocolate and let them know that you're thinking of them today!

07/05/2024

Good morning! Happy Friday! It is the FIRST Friday of our NEW fiscal year, so that means it's time to kick off another round of ! We want to start by introducing you to our organization. The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation was founded 70 years ago in 1954 and continues today to be a state project of the Lions Clubs of Kentucky. Our mission is to provide vision services through education, detection, prevention, treatment and empowerment. Through collaborative partnerships, we enable greater independence and increased quality of life for all Kentuckians while focusing on children and adults in need.

We are governed by a wonderful board of trustees from across Kentucky, with varying backgrounds, strengths and skills to lead our team. Our dedicated staff of three has over 30 years invested in our organization and we love that we get to help and serve Kentuckians on a daily basis. Along with our staff we have a fantastic group of volunteers that make our programs and services possible. Last fiscal year (July 2023 - June 2024) our team provided FREE vision services to over 31,000 Kentuckians!

We hope that you will take time to learn more about the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation by visiting our website - www.kylionseye.org. We are always looking for great people to add to our fun volunteer teams, so please reach out if you are interested in working with us in any way! You can call 502-583-0564 or email [email protected] to learn how you can use your skills to serve others with the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation!

Tune back in this time next week and we will begin our introductions of our staff, starting with our Executive Director, Lindy Lamkin!

07/03/2024

We hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July!

07/01/2024

July 1st marks the beginning of our 2024-2025 fiscal year!

Happy New Year!

06/30/2024

Calling ALL golfers! Just two weeks left to snag the best price to play in our upcoming Drive 4 Sight Golf Scramble! Our early bird discount ends on July 15th so register your team today! www.kylionseye.org/golf

06/30/2024

Happy Anniversary to our friends in the !

06/28/2024

CALLING ALL GOLFERS - The deadline to register for the 10th Annual Drive 4 Sight Golf Scramble on October 11th for the EARLY BIRD registration price of just $100/golfer is Monday, July 15th! Visit www.kylionseye.org/golf to register today!