Through the power of voice, the Lions Club raised funds for blindness prevention with its annual Radio Day.

With the help of Q94, the Lions Club gathered a collection of ads from local business and read them over the air from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Ten members worked together in two-hour increments to read the ads.

“We actually get ads from local companies and it’s $50 for an ad and some of them donate door prizes,” President Natalie Langford said. “What we do is we read them throughout the day until about 2 p.m., and as we read the ads, we do trivia questions and we give away the door prizes that were donated. We also do history on Lion’s Club and what the club is raising money for.”

The club’s main goal is to work towards the prevention of blindness. By working with a local doctor, the club is able to schedule eye exams and surgeries for those who may not be able to afford eye care.

The club also works and donates to Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association, Inc.

“We start several months in advance and what we do is we break down the company names and all of the club members get a list of company names that they need to go out and ask for ads and talk to them about Radio Day and about Lion’s Club,” Langford said. “Everyone gets out and does the leg work to get all of the stuff together.”

One part of Radio Day includes voting and nominating the “Ugliest Man.”

“Any fellow that is not a member of Lions Club or has not been a past ‘Ugliest Man’ is eligible to be nominated and people call in and they nominate and then they allow people to call in and vote on the nominees and then they do a finalist,” Langford said. “Whoever wins the ‘Ugliest Man’ gets to ride on a toilet bowl in the Christmas Parade. It’s just a fun thing that they do. I’m glad I’m not a guy.”

Langford said it’s important to address eye care.

“Vision is important,” Langford said. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can’t bring it back. It’s just helping people out there who need assistance. There’s so many people out there that need eye care that can’t afford it so that’s where we step in and we help out. We try to help as many people as we can.”