SOUTH CAROLINA LIONS CHARITABLE SERVICES - 40 YEARS OF HISTORY

• 1969 - South Carolina Lions Sight Conservation Association, Inc. was presented and adopted by the Lions Clubs of MD-32 at the State Convention held at Myrtle Beach.
  
  
• 1969 - Past International Director Leon Campbell was elected as the first President of SCLSCA, Inc.
  
  
• 1970 - Candy Day was presented to the Lions Clubs as a statewide fundraiser for SCLSCA with 100% of the proceeds going to the association to support programs and services. The Clubs made a pledge to financially support SCLSCA to ensure the services and programs would be implemented in our communities.
  
  
• 1972 - SCLSCA received the land from the SC Hospital Association for construction of the Lions building and Eye Bank.
  
  
• 1973 - SCLSCA was granted a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status by the IRS and the SC Tax Commission.
  
  
• 1974 - Construction commenced of the Lions Building.
  
  
• 1974 - PDG Obe Rosvold was hired as the first Executive Director of SCLSCA.
  
  
• 1974 - The statewide Lions publication, The Palmetto Lion, first published.
  
  
• 1974 - The first Lions Mobile Vision Program was established with the assistance of the Commission for the Blind.
  
  
• 1974 - South Carolina Lions Sight Conservation Foundation, Inc. was chartered.
  
  
• 1976 - The Lions hearing aid bank was established.
  
  
• 1976 – The Special Health Services (eye surgeries) Program was established.
  
  
• 1977 - The Lions burned the mortgage to the building.
  
  
• 1977 - Camps for the Blind were established.
  
  
• 1981 - The first cardboard eye glass collection boxes were distributed.
  
  
• 1984 – The first self-contained Health Screening Unit (HSU) was purchased by the Lions and was operated by Ed Prater, who was hired and paid by the Commission for the Blind.
  
  
• 1985 - Lion Dick Black succeeded retiring PDG Obe Rosvold as Executive Director of SCLSCA.
  
  
• 1985 - Counter candy program was established in conjunction with Candy Day as a Club fundraiser.
  
  
• 1988 - The Lions assume funding for the first fulltime driver/technician, Craig Reese, for the mobile HSU.
  
  
• 1988 – SCLSCA matched a $50,000 LCIF grant to provide the first Lions Eye Bank Laboratory at the Lions Building. Congressman Floyd Spence was Guest of Honor at the grand opening and dedication.
  
  
• 1988 - $27,000.00 was used to construct a vending stand at Camden-Lugoff rest stop on I-20.
  
  
• 1988 - Created a website in order to disseminate Lions information to the general public as well as to Lions.
  
  
• 1989 - The International Youth Camp program in South Carolina began under the leadership of Lion Jim Campbell.
  
  
• 1989 - Purchased a 1988 Chevy Station wagon and mobile phone for use by Lions Eye Bank and SCLSCA.
  
  
• 1989 – The first tenant, Lexington Dialysis Center, moved in downstairs at the Lions building.
  
  
• 1990 - Matched a second grant of $50,000.00 from LCIF to open the Lions Eye Bank at MUSC.
  
  
• 1993 - Purchased a new truck for $14,000.00 to transport the HSU.
  
  
• 1994 - The name South Carolina Lions Sight Conservation Association (SCLSCA) was formally changed to South Carolina Lions, Inc. (SCLINC).
  
  
• 1996 - SCL and SC Lions Eye Bank separated into separate organizations.
  
  
• 1996 - Implemented the $1Million Put-Off Contest.
  
  
• 1999 - Lion State License Tag was initiated.
  
  
• 2001 - Lion Dick Black retired as Executive Director OF SCLINC and was replaced by Lion Gregg Turner, who now serves in that position.
  
  
• 2001 - The Recycle for Sight program was introduced. Used printer and laser ink cartridges were collected and recycled.
  
  
• 2002 - State Lions License tag was approved by the Legislature and SCDMV and the first plates were issued.
  
  
• 2002 - Steve Berch replaced Craig Reese as the driver/technician for the HSU.
  
  
• 2003 - SC Lions, Inc. was changed to SC Lions Charitable Services (SCLCS) at the Annual State Lions Convention and as part of that reorganization the SC Lions Eye Bank merged with Lifepoint.
  
  
• 2003 - A new truck was purchased for the Health Screening Program.
  
  
• 2003 - Hearing Aid Program was modified from using refurbished aids to the procurement of new aids.
  
  
• 2003 - Adopted program with SC Nurses Association to begin screening in schools. This caused a focus for more weekday screenings rather than weekends and allowed us to grow from 3,800 screenings to 12,000 screenings per year.
  
  
• 2004 - Modified Health Services (Eye surgeries) Program and registered SCLCS as a charitable organization with the Department of Health and Human Services allowing us to negotiate surgery costs at a much lower rate.
  
  
• 2004 - Conducted the first of 3 SC Fishing for Vision Tournaments with the Pro Striped Bass Association.
  
  
• 2005 - Purchased new Mobile Screening Unit and Truck.
  
  
• 2005 - Purchased Ballentine property with intensions of relocating Lions’ offices.
  
  
• 2007 - Acquired property from SC Dept. of Transportation in front of the Lions building.
  
  
• 2008 - Modified Hearing Aid program to accommodate the increase of requests to a co-payment program only.
  
  
• 2008 - Acquired remaining property in front of the Lions building from the SC Hospital Association.