HISTORY

On June 28, 2009, Toronto Netralya Lions Club celebrated their Charter Night at Hilton Garden Inn Oakville, Ontario. Hon. Harinder Takhar MPP and Ontario Minister for Government Services was the Chief Guest and District Governor Lion Bill Allison District A-711 of the Lions International was the Keynote speaker for the evening.

The name of the club “Netralya” which means House of Eyes was chosen to resonate with one of the missions of the Lions Club International – which is “SIGHTFIRST” – inspired by the famous Deafblind Helen Keller.

The prime mandate of the club is to create awareness of preventable blindness and provide monetary help to eradicate and/or cure for the unprivileged and needy.  

FUNDRAISING

Since the inception and charter of Toronto Netralya Lions Club in 2009, the club has donated close to SEVEN HUNDRED dollars for various charitable organizations mainly involved in the Excellence in Vision Research Work  and Preventable Blindness.

The THREE galas - Lions Unite For Sight, November 2010 and Lions Gala For Sight, September 2012 & May 2018, were a resounding success.  The galas supported by donations from various corporate and financial institutes enabled the club to donate funds to the following beneficiaries:

- CNIB (Canadian Institute for the Blind) $325,000.00

- K K Eye Institute in Pune, India $15,000.00

- Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto $25,000.00

- Narayana Nethralaya Hospital, Banglore $15,000.00

- Dr. Doobey’s Dialysis Hospital in Guyana $2,500.00

- Sick Kid’s Foundation (Ophthalmology Wing) $4,300.00

- Renascent Benefit Concert $500.00

- Anishnwabe Health Foundation (Eye Clinic) $125,000.00

- COVID-19 India Relief Fund – 350 Oxygen Concentrators for Lions

   and other Hospitals throughout Indian States.

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.