Gravette Lions Club’s annual White Cane Day scheduled for Saturday

GRAVETTE — The Gravette Lions Club will hold its annual White Cane Day this Saturday, Sept. 17. Members of the club will be stationed at Harps grocery store in Gravette and at the Hiwasse Fall Festival asking for donations to help with their sight conservation work.

Gravette Lions ask for your support in raising funds for their work. All proceeds are used for projects in the local area. Their sight conservation projects include giving eye tests to students in Gravette and Decatur schools. Club members will be testing the eyes of pre-K students at Decatur Thursday morning, Sept. 22. The club also provides assistance to persons needing eye exams or eyeglasses who are not financially able to purchase them alone.

White Cane Day was first instituted in 1930 when a Lions Club member watched a blind man crossing a busy street with a black cane. Realizing the dark cane was hardly visible, his club decided to paint it white to make it more easily observable by oncoming motorists.

The first special White Cane Ordinance was passed in Peoria, Ill. It granted blind pedestrians protection and the rightof-way whenever they were using a white cane.

In 1931 Lions Clubs International started a national program to promote the use of white canes for people who are blind.

The Gravette Lions Club meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. at the Billy V. Hall Senior Activity and Wellness Center. The next regular meeting of the club will be Tuesday, Sept. 20. Guests are always welcome. Lunch is available.