The Richmond Hill Lions Club met July 26 at the Wetland Center and was visited by 10-year-old Sara Rash.

Although blind, Sara spoke to the members about her many summer activities, including riding horses, swimming, having paint fights and riding a 4-wheeler.

Sara wanted to learn to play a guitar, and Lion member Boyd Walden and his wife Jane purchased a small guitar for her to practice on.

Sara soon will attend the Macon School for the Blind. She talked about her teacher who has been with her since pre-K and will teach her until she reaches high school.

In other business, Second Vice District Gov. Chip Nedza met with the club to fulfill the duties of an official visit. He discussed many services Lions can do to help their communities. He purchased vision machines and will loan them when needed to schools and Lions Clubs and train the school nurse and Lion members on how to use them.

He has screened 1,800 children with the help of his wife, Terry, and members of Lions Clubs at YMCAs already this year and has another screening planned.

Nedza also inducted a new club member, Tommy Brookshire.

This year, the Lions Club International president is a teacher and has asked that Lions Clubs help with the literacy program. Another Lions project has been planting trees.

The club also collects used eyeglasses that are sent to a branch of the Lions organization called The Lighthouse. Collection boxes are placed around Richmond Hill. The glasses collected are sorted, repaired as needed and used to help those in need of corrective glasses around the world. Glasses are just one of the services at the Lighthouse; doctors are on staff to care for all optical needs, including surgery, when necessary.

The club is making plans for a building in the Richmond Hill for meetings. The club has a number of fundraisers to help provide scholarships, glasses and other assistance to those in need in southern Bryan County.

For more information about the Lions Club or donating, send an email to osis0613@coastalnow.net.