On that day, Sullivan talked to the Lions about how, even though she was triple-handicapped, Keller's greatest hardship was her blindness. Sullivan challenged the Lions to become "knights for the blind." Since that speech, aiding the sight-impaired has been the main emphasis of this international organization, known for helping to better local communities across the globe.

Lions' support of sight-related needs is largely funded by its biggest annual benefit, called White Cane Days. This yearly project, put on by Lions chapters across the globe, was started not long after Sullivan's speech back in 1925. It is named after the small white canes that were designed by George Bonham, then president of the Peoria, Ill., chapter in 1926. They were originally made for sight-impaired people to wear so people were aware of their condition and later were adopted as the symbol for people who contribute to White Cane Days to wear proudly.

During White Cane Days, Lions station themselves at local shopping centers to collect donations and pass out white cane symbols to donors. The Saratoga Lions Club will be collecting money around Saratoga on Oct. 2 and 3, and the Los Gatos Lions Club will be collecting money on Oct. 7 and 8.

Regular community projects for the Los Gatos Lions include the Los Gatos Children's Holiday Parade, the Lions Eye Foundation of Northern California and Nevada, the Lions Santa Clara Valley Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and providing eye exams and glasses for children in need. The Los Gatos chapter also supports local youth by maintaining snack shacks at Los Gatos High School football games with money benefiting the school, and sponsorship of Boy Scout Troop 539, student speech contests and college scholarships for high school students.

The Los Gatos Lions Club meets weekly at the Los Gatos Lodge. For more information, call 408.356.1266.