Beaufort Lions Club hosts annual Waterfest Breakfast – The Island News – Beaufort, SC

Employee reports

The Beaufort Lions Club will host its annual Water Festival Breakfast on Saturday, July 13, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Sea Island Presbyterian Church, 81 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort.

Breakfast includes Jim Palmer’s creamy sausage gravy and freshly baked rolls, fresh scrambled eggs, cheese grits, fluffy pancakes, juice, milk and coffee.

Adult tickets can be purchased at the door for $12; under-12s for $10; or online at https://beaufort-lions-club.square.site/. Major credit cards are accepted. Takeout is available.

Lions International is a nonprofit organization with 1.4 million members worldwide that works to address social issues such as vision, diabetes, childhood cancer, the environment and hunger. In 1926, Helen Keller told Lions: “I appeal to you, lions who can see and hear, who are strong, brave and kind. Will you not join as knights of the blind in this crusade against darkness?”

Funds raised through Beaufort Lions Club-sponsored events are distributed to support the Beaufort community through humanitarian, vision and diabetes programs. Beaufort Lions volunteers have screened the vision and hearing of more than 6,200 public and private school students north of the Broad, ages 6 months through high school, during the 2023-24 school year. They also conduct monthly adult vision screenings at a free vision clinic and during the summer migrant program.

They provide school nurses north of the Broad with healthy snacks for students diagnosed with diabetes. They donated school supplies for students and teachers, blankets for the oncology infusion stations at Beaufort Memorial and MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, non-perishable food items for HELP of Beaufort and the Salvation Army food banks, activity books for seniors, a tree for a local church, and countless other small acts of kindness.

To provide additional specialized resources to the community, the club also donates to national/international non-profit organizations:

• Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Blind individuals who are at least 16 years old can participate in this program. They receive free transportation to and from the client’s home to the Leader Dog campus, as well as free room and board during training. The cost to house and train a Leader Dog is over $60,000.
• Camp Leo is a week-long camp for visually impaired children ages 7-17 from across South Carolina. Camp is held in St. Andrews by the Sea on Hilton Head Island and is free for families. Transportation is provided and campers participate in beach activities, arts and crafts, kayaking, visits to a petting zoo and airport, play mini golf, etc.
• The MUSC Storm Eye Research Institute in Charleston conducts research on vision disorders, such as retinal and corneal diseases and glaucoma. It also offers cataract surgery, LASIK and pediatric eye care. Research conducted at Storm Eye improves the quality of life for visually impaired people around the world.
• The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind in Spartanburg offers both on-campus and distance learning to public school students with visual or hearing impairments.
• Lions Vision Services in Columbia ensures that those without vision insurance receive appropriate treatment for vision problems such as retinal detachment and cataract surgery. LVS also sponsors the annual State Blind Fishing Tournament in Santee. Blind individuals throughout the state are transported to and from their homes, provided with free room and board, and a day of fishing from a boat or shore. Winners of this competition are then transported to North Carolina in October to compete in the National Blind Fishing Competition.
• The Lions Clubs International Foundation is a global disaster relief resource. The foundation partners with the Carter Center to combat river blindness in Africa and Latin America. In 2016, a recovery grant was sent to Hilton Head Island following Hurricane Matthew, and recovery grants have been awarded to the Myrtle Beach area several times.

Supporting the local Beaufort Lions Club through fundraisers like this breakfast has a worldwide impact. Start your Saturday, Water Festival Day, with a family breakfast at Sea Island Presbyterian Church. Reminder – Lions are still selling brooms. You can purchase one at the breakfast or ask for Pat at 843-522-0066.