Lions Clubs International: SightFirst Initiatives[all links open in new window]: Lions are recognized worldwide for their service to the blind and visually impaired. This service began when Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness" during the association's 1925 international convention. The Lions SightFirst program funds eye hospitals and eye care programs through approximately 45,000 clubs in 197 regions throughout the world. Lions Clubs International is a member of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and established World Sight Day, now celebrated worldwide by IAPB and its member organizations.