Many years ago Helen Keller addressed the Lions International Convention asking Lions to be her Knights of the blind. Years later she returned to thank the Lions as we took up her request she never thought we could do so much. About twenty years ago Lions International formed SightFirst as a leader group to help individuals before they became blind.   Today this group promotes Diabetes Awareness worldwide to combat a disease that claims 75 individual’s sight per day within the continental United States. One of the missions in our state, (Wisconsin), is the Wisconsin Lions Diabetes Focus Group. Thisgroup works with many groups such as the American diabetes Association, Juvenal Diabetes Association, and the Wisconsin Department of Health to establish Care Guidelines and an Implementation Project for doctors as well as people with Diabetes and their families.   Wisconsin Lions Camp provides children with Diabetes education in a fun atmosphere as well as their parents a worry free respite knowing their children’s environment is extremely controlled.   Some facts you should know: Diabetes claims kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, gangrene, and loss of limbs plus many forms of eye disease.  According to studies and research one in seven Americans will have diabetes in the next ten to twelve years.   7 Billion Dollars is this years cost to insurance companies. That is with 10% of the population that are diabetic. Of that number another 10% don’t know they have it yet. 100,000 new cases a year or one in 10 will develop this disease next year. It is bad enough that 330,000 adults in Wisconsin have diabetes. An additional 836,000 person’s ages 40-74 are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition which may lead to it.   The Wauwatosa Lions Club helps provide this local with free Diabetes screening at our National Night Out , Works with the American Diabetes Association to promote the annual Run for the Cure, Promotes Diabetes Awareness at all it’s fundraisers with Lions sponsored Diabetes literature which is always available.   Lion Tom Wilhelm [Email Tom] Diabetes Awareness Chairman District 27A-2