Our History
Since 1969, Lions World Vision Institute has worked to support people who are blind or visually impaired through innovative ocular endeavors.
From our humble beginnings, Lions World Vision Institute has grown into a state-of-the-art hub for ocular tissue preparation, musculoskeletal tissue recovery, research, and pediatric vision health to transform the lives of people in our community and around the world.
Central Florida Lions Eye Bank was formally dedicated at the University of South Florida. Lions International Past President, Dr. Walter H. Campbell gave the dedication speech. Lion John Bartley was elected as the first President, the first Medical Director was Dr. William Edwards, and the first paid employee was Eye
Lions Club members from St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa realized the need for an eye bank located in central Florida. While there were already two eye banks in Florida: North Florida Lions Eye Bank in Jacksonville and Florida Lions Eye Bank in Miami, there was no single, consistent non-profit serving