Lions Gift of Sight

The partnership between the Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation and the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Neurosciences came to life in 1960 with the establishment of Lions Gift of Sight eye bank, based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This partnership has grown greatly over the decades since then and today encompasses:

Lions Gift of Sight 

As one of the largest and most innovative eye banks in the United States, Lions Gift of Sight restores sight in Minnesota and around the world. Its team recovers, medically evaluates and distributes donor eyes to transform lives through corneal transplants, research and education. In 2024, the eye bank provided 2,322 corneas for transplant and 1,635 eyes for research to advance vision science. Lions Gift of Sight is the second largest eye bank for research tissue distribution and has many cutting-edge in-house research and development projects that contribute to the field of ophthalmology, the evolution of corneal transplants and the advancement of science.

Minnesota Lions Children’s Eye Clinic

More than 5,000 children receive care every year. The clinic is one of the largest and best-staffed clinics of its kind in the country.

Lions Research Building

Provides nearly 12,000 square feet of research space and services for an immunology laboratory, extraocular and facial muscle laboratory, optic nerve rescue laboratory, corneal dystrophy laboratory, and three laboratories working on aspects of macular degeneration.

William H. Knobloch Retina Chair

Supports research and treatment of retina disease.

Lions Macular Degeneration Center

Known as “The MAC Center,” is an internationally recognized leader in research and clinical care. Equally important, the Lions Gift of Sight has been instrumental in rallying community support for vision issues and contributing countless hours of volunteer time throughout the state.

Minnesota Lions Fund to Prevent Blindness in Infants and Children

Created in 2010, the Fund will ensure that the finest eye care for infants and children can be delivered by our entire faculty, that newer and better ways will be found to prevent and treat vision-threatening disease, and that greater information and education will become available to eye care providers and the community.

Minnesota Lions Eye Surgery Center

On behalf of the entire Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation (MLVF) board, Lion Dave Moen, Chair of the Board of MLVF, presented a $4 million dollar check to President Eric Kaler representing the Minnesota Lions commitment to build the Minnesota Lions Eye Surgery Center, a specialty surgical suite at the University of Minnesota.