Although they assist a multitude of individuals and charities, the Lions and Lioness Clubs are perhaps best known for their "flagship project'' -- sight conservation.

Lions International's battle against blindness began in 1925, when founder Mr.

Melvin Jones urged members to heed Helen Keller's challenge to become "Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness''.

Miss Keller, a lecturer, author and activist who lost both her sight and hearing to a childhood illness, made the plea as she addressed the Lions international convention that same year.

In the first 20 years of their commitment to the eradication of blindness, Lions Clubs set up prevention programmes, opened the first guide dog school and established the world's first eye bank.

In 1990, Lions International initiated the SightFirst programme, an extensive project which aims to set up an international infrastructure capable of preventing and treating all forms of unnecessary blindness.

In addition to providing free eye tests and eye glasses to the less fortunate, SightFirst finances research, eye care training and clinical facilities.

Campaign SightFirst, which was established the following year, became the greatest initiative ever launched by the organisation.

Clubs worldwide are committed to raising US $200 million by July, 1994, for SightFirst projects.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates there are at least 40 million blind people in the world today and warns that the number could double within the next 25 years.

In India alone, there are approximately 10 million blind people.

WHO also estimates 80 percent of those who go blind needlessly lose their sight to preventable or reversible causes, such as cataracts, vitamin A deficiency, river blindness, trachoma, glaucoma and complications of diabetes.

Bermuda's Lions, Lionesses and Leos have joined the massive fundraising effort, and have vowed to raise "at least'' $75,000 by next summer.

So far, local clubs have gathered some $30,000 for the campaign. Hamilton Lions president Mr. Dudley Cottingham recently returned from an orientation meeting in New York where he officially assumed his role as one of six coordinators for Campaign SightFirst in the New York-Bermuda Lions District.

"I look upon this challenge as the opportunity of a lifetime,'' Mr.

Cottingham said, referring to his appointment. "It is a chance to be a part of something that will change the world -- not just a part of the world, but the whole world.

"It's amazing what can be accomplished with as little as US $1,500. It can restore sight to as many as 200 people in India through low-cost cataract operations, or prevent as many as 3,750 children from losing their sight because of vitamin A deficiency.'' One vitamin A tablet, costing six cents and administered every six months, could save a malnourished child from blindness and death.

He added that the funds contributed to the campaign will take on added value because Lions volunteer their time and talent to establish and implement sight projects around the world.

Lions in Brazil are giving vision screening for residents of poor communities, and in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda members are providing transportation and food for patients at SightFirst eye camps.

Each of the local Lion and Lioness Clubs will be holding special events throughout the coming year to raise money specifically for Campaign SightFirst.

One of larger projects which has been made possible by the campaign is the construction of the Lions Caribbean Eye Care Centre, which will be an addition to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados.

Funding has already been approved for the US $2.5 million facility, which will provide primary and specialty eye care to 18 Caribbean countries and territories.

The new structure will include a surgical suite with two operating theatres and outpatient and research facilities. It will also be a coordination centre of blindness prevention activities and eye care training.