Maryville Lions Club collects donations outside of local businesses to support White Cane charities.
October 15 is International White Cane Safety Day. It first began in 1921 when photographer James Biggs (who became blind following an accident) painted his cane white in an effort to become more visible to others. A decade later, Lions Clubs were distributing white canes and red arm bands as identifiers that gave blind pedestrians right-of-way.
Then in 1964, U.S. Congress passed a resolution designating October 15th as official “National White Cane Safety Day.” A few years later in 1969, the International Federation of the Blind also adopted this date for formal recognition.
We collect donations near or around this day. We distribute the money collected to many White Cane charities, including the East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank, the Tennessee School for the Blind, Tennessee School for the Deaf. the Hearing and Speech Foundation in Maryville, Lions Volunteer Blind Industries among other organizations.
If you miss us on White Cane Collection day, consider donating online.