A Year of Giving Through LCIF

Dear Lion,

Every year at this time, I send my personal greetings to you, the members of my Lions family. This year is no different, except I want to take the extra time to reflect on what we have accomplished together through our Foundation. Thanks to your donations and your service, we have met needs all over the world and made a great impact in many people's lives.

Together, we met the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's challenge grant to raise US$10 million for measles. Through this major accomplishment, we helped vaccinate 157 million children against measles in 2012.

Lions also provided disaster relief worldwide following typhoons, flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters this year. One recent example is Superstorm Sandy in the United States. Many Lions gave generously, and even Lions who were affected by the storm were out serving their communities the next day.

In addition to disaster relief, Lions and LCIF have been continuing to fight preventable blindness. When I was in Thailand for the 10 year celebration of Sight for Kids with Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, I was able to see the impact that a simple vision screening can have in a child's life. It is easy to see why organizations like Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb, The Carter Center and more partner with us in our efforts to save sight.

Our Foundation has also supported youth in many ways during this year. The Lions Quest program is continually growing to help provide children with positive life skills. The U.S. State Department is helping the program expand in Africa, while the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is working with Lions Quest curriculum in Central Asia and Southeastern Europe.

I am amazed at all the different kinds of service that we are able to provide together. Though I have been Chairperson of our Foundation for just six months, it is easy to see all the good that we have accomplished this past year, and every year since the Foundation was created. All of our accomplishments are because of your generous donations. I invite you to see the impact your donations have made by viewing this video.

As this year ends, I look forward to a new year full of service and caring. Though we always pray for no disaster and diseases in this world, they still happen. Please continue your support to LCIF so that we can strive for a better world to live in with no disaster and diseases in the coming future.

Sincerely,

Wing-Kun Tam

Chairperson, Lions Clubs International Foundation