Gravette Lions Club plans White Cane Day

GRAVETTE -- The Gravette Lions Club will be observing White Cane Day this Saturday, Dec. 4. Members of the club will be stationed at locations around town asking for donations to help with their sight conservation work.

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 1930 in Peoria, Ill. It granted blind pedestrians protection and the right-of-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 persons who are blind.

Gravette Lions ask for your support in raising funds for their work in the local community. All funds donated are used for projects to assist persons in the immediate area.

Lions Club members will also be helping with traffic and crowd control during the visit of the KCS Holiday Train on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Members of the Siloam Springs Lions Club and the Bentonville Breakfast Lions Club will also be on hand to help that evening.

The next regular meeting of the Gravette Lions Club will be held at 12 noon Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the In Zone restaurant. Guests and prospective members are always welcome.

Community on 11/30/2016