Runners, walkers and community supporters will lace up their sneakers at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, for a cause that has united Lions Clubs worldwide for nearly a century: the annual Run for Sight.
The Haddonfield club – in partnership with the Voorhees-Gibbsboro Lions Club – is hosting its 5K Run for Sight as part of borough’s fall festival. The collaboration between the two clubs has deep roots.
“The Haddonfield Lions Club is our sponsor club, and so they have been mentoring us since our club was chartered last year,” said Dr. Mimi Hadi, secretary and founder of the Voorhees-Gibbsboro club. “We help promote their 5K by getting participants and sponsors.”
The race continues a long-standing commitment to vision by Lions Clubs, inspired by Helen Keller’s 1925 call for members to become what she called Knights of the Blind.
“The Lions Club has a rich history of supporting vision causes,” Hadi explained. “This 5K Race for Sight is part of this movement and aims to promote awareness for vision loss, especially related to diabetes.”
Funds raised through registrations, sponsorships and donations will directly support local charities and programs.
“The sponsorships received each year for this race have helped raise awareness for vision causes,” Hadi explained. “All proceeds go to local area charities benefiting those with visual impairments, blindness, hunger, diabetes and other worthy causes.”
Larry Melton, immediate past president of the Haddonfield Lions, noted that the impact extends beyond race day.
“The funds raised by the 5K event go toward returning $20,000 back to the community in service and scholarships,” he pointed out. “This year, the Lions Club also provided screenings of Amblyopia (known as lazy eye) for 2,000 elementary-school children in the area. Working with school nurses, children at risk for eye problems were identified and given resources for care.”
The event will also offer a festive atmosphere. Participants line up along the softball field as music pumps through outdoor speakers.
“When the starting horn blasts ‘go,’ all the runners charge across the field and into the wooded trail,” Melton said. “People even push baby carriages and walking carts to do the run. After the event, awards and medals will be announced over the same large concert speakers.”
This year’s race has a unique tie to Haddonfield’s fall festival.
“Runners can go into Haddonfield after the race and participate in snacks at the Kings Road Brewery and other events around the borough,” Melton said. “Over 40 tables will be set up for nonprofits in town to showcase their services and connect with residents.
“The streets will be alive with activity.”
For many Lions, the cause of vision care is personal. Dr. Ed Melman, an optometrist and charter member of the Voorhees-Gibbsboro Lions Club, shared his journey.
“Without my glasses, the world was a complete blur,” he remembered. “My mother worked at Wills Eye (Hospital) during WWII, and one of my great aunts was nearly blind from an assault during a pogrom in Europe. Lions Clubs International has a long-standing commitment to vision care, from screenings and sight restoration to eyeglass recycling and Special Olympics programs.
“It’s work that truly changes lives.”
The race has also become a space for meaningful connections. Melton recalled a family who joined last year’s event.
“The mother was going blind, and her teenage son wrote with humor about the experience,” he recalled. “They later became speakers at our club. That’s what the Lions are about – people meeting others and sharing in one big event of service.”
For newer members like Dr. Jamie Kasper, second vice president of the Voorhees-Gibbsboro club, events like the run bring people closer together.
“Our presence at community events shows our commitment to making the community a better place and helping our neighbors,” Kasper commented. “People coming to our events are appreciative and thankful. It brings people together.”
Dr. Hadi echoed that.
“We want the community to have an awareness of those who have vision impairments and who need our support,” she emphasized.
The 5K Run for Sight will kick off on race morning with registration, music and community participation. Afterward, participants are invited to celebrate at Kings Road Brewery for the award ceremony, just a short walk from the race site.
To register, sign up online at: https://runsignup.com/octoberfest. The Lions Clubs are also seeking volunteers and sponsors. For more information, email Voorheesgibbsborolionsclub@gmail.com.
