Calgary Visitation
Lion Darryl Rawleigh and Lion Anne Kennedy from the CLERC program visited with us on Monday, Jan 26 for dinner. They are a big part of the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre. Not only do they take the eyeglasses that Lions Wes Van and Gord Barber collect locally, but eyeglasses from all across western Canada. Our club collects, cleans, sorts and ships 5,500 glasses a year. In the last 10 years our Club has sent them over 50,000 glasses.
Lions used eyeglasses drop off locations in Kelowna:
Nuvue Optometry, #112-1950 Harvey Avenue, 778-484-1650;
I Sight Optometry, #4-2017 Harvey Avenue 250-860-2020;
Walmart, 1555 Banks Rd., (250) 860-8811;
Costco Wholesale, 2479 Hwy 97N., 250-868-0385;
Real Canadian Superstore, 2280 Baron Rd. (250) 717-2536;
Image Optometry, Orchard Park Mall (236) 420-3937;
Dr Specs Optical, Orchard Plaza, 250-861-1585;
Vivid Laser, Dr Baldassare 1571 Sutherland Ave., 250-979-2010;
Clear vision optical, Capri Center Mall, 250-979-2035;
Glenmore Optometry, #5-538 Yates Rd., 236-420-4907
KGH, hospital (rehab), 2268 Pandosy St, Kelowna, (250) 862-4000;
Okanagan Retina, Dr Hoonjan, #301–550 West Ave., 250-860-3937;
Kelowna Laser Vision, #1- 2918 Tutt St., 250-979-3937;
Wink I Wear, 106-3200 Richter St. 250 862-9465;
Kelowna Eye Associates, Dr. Theriault, #207 - 3330 Richter Street, 778-484-7333.
Brief history of CLERC
1. Welcome. We are one of 19 Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers around the world. They are located in: Alaska, Arizona(2), California & Nevada, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, N.&E.& S.E. Virginia, Northwestern(State of Washington).Wisconsin, France, Australia, Italy ,S. Africa ,Canada and Spain. We are officially sanctioned by a set of rules set out by Lions International. Lions Internationally made Recycle for Sight an official program in 1994.
2. We are an incorporated society since 2003 in Alberta. Our Alberta name is Lions Eyeglass Recycling Society or LERS. We are an approved District and Multiple District venture.
3. We have informal satellites projects in Bishop Falls, Newfoundland. This is very small and only have a few lens meters to read the glasses. It is located in correctional institutions or jails.
4. Operation Eyesight Universal started this program at the Calgary Correctional Center(CCC) (Spyhill Jail) in 1996. They asked the Lions to take it over in 2003. The CCC still is operational but not on a large scale. Once they did all the processing from 1996 to 2012.Since 2013 LERS have bought the equipment to do our complete processing. This augments the work of CCC.
5. It was our decision to fill the orders. In order to do that we had to buy ultrasonic cleaners, lens meters and supplies like baggies, paper for the lens machines, boxes for storing 50 pairs of glasses, shipping boxes that hold 6 boxes of 50 pairs of glasses or 300 in total. We needed to buy bins to allow us to sort them. We needed furniture like tables, chairs, filing cabinets, storage cabinets, fridge, microwave, commercial dish washing machine. Some furniture was donated by oil companies. We also needed storage. We bought a 40’ secan stored privately for a cost and a 53’ trailer located at Okotoks Lion Bob Airth’s farm. We bought collection boxes for the retail stores. We bought collection bags. From November 17, 2012 to Oct.19, 2014 we were working out of the Lions Village basement. In lieu of rent we paid them $3,200. We own a 16’ Cube Van and a Nissan van to haul glasses.
6. On November 1, 2014 we rented a part of a warehouse. It is Bay 2, 1612 -34 Ave NE Calgary, AB, T2E 6L9. That is where we are presently working. The office area is 400 sq.ft., the mezzanine is 400 sq.ft., warehouse is 1,120 sq.ft. for a total of 1,520 sq.ft. with a 16’ ceiling. We rent monthly from the The Shelburne Group LTD. for about $2,600 plus common fees.
7. All this cost money: Our dish washer cost us $5238, our commercial soft water system cost $3000, an automatic lens reader cost us $9000, our large shipping box cost $2.53, our collection box cost $2.07,our small boxes that hold 50 pairs cost $.33 and our red collection bags cost $1.44. We have the collection boxes and bags for sale. If ordering you pay shipping costs.
8. In 2018-19 our rent was an average of $2,600 a month. We have 3 sources of income( one is a casino(41%) donations (30%) & recycling revenue (24%.) Our expenses for that period were $148,941 made up of : supplies 23%,Rent 20%,vehicles 27%,equipment 6% other 24%. We do not sell our glasses. The person requesting them pays for the freight. The glasses are free.
9. Our glasses go to 101 different countries. We average processing about 240,000 a year. Since 2003 we have distributed 4.4 million pairs. BUT since 1996 we have done over 5.5 million pairs.
10. All the work is volunteer. Nobody gets paid. Come visit us if ever in Calgary.
11. Please ask your club to donate to this worthy cause. Look at our new website. Make cheque out to CLERC at address above. Thanks. Any amount helps.
If you have any suggestions for improvements please send them to us.
Gordon Prusky ( gprusky@shaw.ca)
CLERC Secretary since 2003 , (Updated April 2020)
Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre.
Box 1530 Stn T Calgary, Alberta. T2H 3A3 Canada
Ph: (403) 640-1056 email:clerc@shaw.ca
info@clerc.ca; Web page: clerc@shaw.ca
