History and Development of the
Colorado Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (COLERC)
Documenting the Formation and Growth of COLERC
The need to record the history and evolution of the Colorado Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (COLERC) became clear after a review of the minutes from the October 18, 2025, MD6 Council meeting. Eyeglass recycling in Colorado can be traced back to around 2001, when Lion Myron Grabill began managing the program in Sterling. By 2012, the responsibility had shifted to Lion Bob Slonecker in Sterling, with Golden Lion Jon Berquist serving as State Used Eyeglass Chair. Lion Dave Conley was brought on to assist and soon took over management of the program. Around 2015, Lion Dave assumed the role of State Used Eyeglass Chair. The initial motivation for starting the program was the recognition that simply collecting used eyeglasses was only the first step; making them useful to those in need required much more work. The Lions of Colorado owes a debt of gratitude to the Lions of Sterling for their more than two decades of service, during which they delivered the gift of better vision to hundreds of thousands of people.
For many years, the Golden and Denver Lions Clubs collaborated by transporting collected eyeglasses to Sterling. The Golden Lions provided storage space, while the Denver Lions provided office space. As a result, clubs from other districts often dropped off glasses at either location. During these trips to Sterling, the operations of the program were regularly discussed with Lion Dave Conley, who generously gave tours of the Sterling Correctional Facility’s (SCF) processing room and the downtown bank where the Sterling Lions sorted and packaged glasses. These visits highlighted the considerable effort required to prepare the glasses for distribution.
Early Considerations for Alternatives (2017–2018)
As early as 2017, Lion Dave emphasized the need to explore alternative solutions for processing glasses. To improve efficiency at the SCF, the Sterling program invested in two new TopCon CL 300 lensometers in November 2017. Responding to Lion Dave’s concerns the following year, the Denver Lions Club proposed establishing an additional facility to process eyeglasses, offering both funding and leadership to create either a district 6C or statewide center. The MD6 Council, however, denied this proposal without explanation.
Seeking Solutions After Sterling Correctional Facility’s Program Termination
The participation of the Sterling Correctional Facility ended after the pandemic, prompting Lions across Colorado to search for new solutions. Despite this, clubs continued collecting and transporting glasses to Sterling. The main obstacle to starting a new processing facility was finding adequate and affordable space. Revenue from selling specialty and discarded glasses was not enough to cover rental expenses. The Denver Lions consulted a commercial real estate broker, learning that minimum rent would be $1,500 per month.
In late 2022, Lion Nancy Hopper offered to donate warehouse space for the program. An ad hoc committee—composed of John Spice, Carol Young, Dave Newman, Fletcher Brown, and Dwight Steen—was formed, with additional members sought via email outreach. Committee members conducted telephone interviews with Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers (LERCs) in Texas (Ft Worth and Conroe), Iowa, Indiana, NW (Oregon/Washington), and New Jersey, and made personal visits to centers in Wisconsin, Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson), Calgary, Texas (Midland), and Virginia. The committee collected order forms, bylaws, operations manuals, lensometer makes and models, washing and sanitizing equipment, and other practices. With this information, they developed a comprehensive plan detailing equipment needs, sources, and cost estimates. They intended to comply with Lions Clubs International (LCI) guidelines (see LERC425 document available on www.lionsclubs.org) to become an official LERC. The official guidelines provide a glimpse into the volume of work required to establish the center. Grants were then sought and received, with $10,000 each from the Colorado Lions Foundation (CLF) and Denver Lions Foundation (DLF).
Facility Development and Equipment Expansion (2022–2023)
During this period, the MD6 Council recommended that each district process its own collected glasses and proposed purchasing two additional lensometers. In 2022, one TopCon CL 300 was acquired by MD6 from the Used Eyeglass Fund and transferred to the committee, which also had access to a TopCon CL 300 and a TopCon 200, both of which had previously been in Sterling. An additional CL 300 was held by the Gill Lions in 6NE. District 6W decided to send its collected glasses to Walmart, which forwards them to the Texas Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center.
With grant funding, the committee equipped the new processing facility on Mississippi Avenue in Denver with shelving units, tables, chairs, a computer system, bins, packing supplies, and cleaning materials. The center was initially intended to serve District 6C, as advised by the Council. Lions from 6NE also contributed cardboard boxes, used pallets, a pallet jack, and delivered glasses processed with their TopCon CL 300. Delivery to the facility was managed by Lions Ken Moore and Michelle McGowan.
Disposition of Raw Glasses Stored at Sterling
At the October 23, 2021, Council meeting, it was decided that all glasses stored at Sterling would be shipped to ReSpecs, though no specific Lion or Club was assigned this task. In 2022, the Committee became increasingly concerned about the large volume of raw eyeglasses stored in Sterling. Even with optimism about the new center, it was clear that processing the backlog would be overwhelming.
As continued storage was not financially ideal, the Committee discussed options with Lion Dave and Lion Ken Moore of Gill: ship the glasses to ReSpecs for processing or dispose of them in a landfill. After contacting ReSpecs, a tentative plan was made for a truck to pick up the glasses. Lions club members would be responsible for palletizing, shrink-wrapping, and loading the glasses onto the truck with a rented forklift. This plan was shared with Lions Ken and Dave, and Lions from Denver and Golden agreed to be present in Sterling to help with the operation.
Over the following two years, there were many additional discussions about the logistics and financial responsibilities of the operation. A recurring question was about the expected proceeds from the sale to ReSpecs. It should be clear that the glasses stored in Sterling were not donated exclusively by Clubs from 6NE and 6SE.
In January 2025, 6NE Lions arranged for the shipment of the glasses to ReSpecs. The Sterling program had always operated as an MD6 program, with surplus funds consistently deposited into the Used Eyeglass Fund held in the CLF but managed by the MD6 Council. Why funds generated from this last shipment should be treated differently from past instances is not apparent. As of this writing (December 31, 2025), the MD6 Council has not issued a determination regarding the disposition of the funds. The funds remain with the Treasurer of 6NE.
Establishment of Satellite Centers and Ongoing Improvements (2023–2024)
In 2023, the Pueblo Charter expressed interest in creating a satellite processing center. The committee transferred the TopCon 200 to Pueblo and provided several hours of training. When Pueblo requested a second lensometer, the committee split the cost, and a TopCon CL 300 was delivered in August 2023.
Also in 2023, the committee acquired two more TopCon CL 300s, bringing the total in Denver to four. In April, Lion Nancy Hopper secured additional space for her business on Monaco Street, including approximately 1,000 square feet for the eyeglass recycling center. All equipment and glasses were moved to this location, establishing the current COLERC site at 4605 Monaco Street, Denver, CO 80216.
Sterling continued to supply Mission groups with previously processed glasses until stocks were depleted. In summer 2023, it was agreed with Lion Dave to transfer the remaining processed glasses to the Denver facility, and subsequent orders received in Sterling were forwarded to COLERC. It became clear that even if each district had its own processing facility, a centralized inventory and fulfillment center would be preferred.
All discarded glasses to be sent to ReSpecs in California need to be palletized. Since the Denver facility lacked space for this, COLERC received permission from the building landlord to place a 20-foot shipping container in the parking lot. In summer 2023, COLERC purchased a 20-foot shipping container, which has since been used for pallet assembly.
To ensure transparency, COLERC issued its first report in July 2023, covering activities and finances from the beginning through June 2023. Quarterly and annual reports have been issued since, with COLERC also providing reports prior to each Council meeting, contributing articles to the Mane Lioner, and publishing periodic COLERC newsletters sent to all Colorado Lions.
Growth, Collaboration, and Organizational Milestones (2024–2025)
In July 2024, the Woodland Park-Pikes Peak and Nob Hill Lions Clubs established a third satellite eyeglass processing center, jointly purchasing a lensometer with support from a Colorado Lions Foundation grant. Collaboration with districts 6NE, 6SE, and 6C, along with Council encouragement led to the adoption of the name Colorado Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (COLERC). The committee began reviewing by-laws from other LERCs and initiated incorporation as a Colorado non-profit.
Volunteer concerns about the TopCon CL 300s arose, as these lensometers required manual positioning of each lens. For bifocals or progressive lenses, volunteers also had to move the lens to detect the maximum ADD power, which was tedious and sometimes unreliable. In late 2024, COLERC arranged for a demonstration of the TopCon Solo Lite. This led the Board to consider these fully automatic lens analyzers as a solution. With the Solo Lite, the operator simply places a pair of glasses into the instrument and presses a button. MD6 Council approved $7,000 from the Used Eyeglass Fund, matched by $7,000 from COLERC and $14,000 from CLF, to purchase four TopCon Solo Lites in January 2025.
COLERC soon raised funds for two additional Solo Lites, assigning one to the Gill Lions Club and one to the Pueblo Club. Around the same time, the Golden Lions Club independently purchased a TopCon Solo Lite and established a fourth satellite center. The introduction of these instruments increased volunteer participation.
TopCon offered COLERC $500 for each of the model CL 300s as a trade-in. COLERC opted to sell each of the model 300s to a lens laboratory in Castle Rock for $1,000 each. That business subsequently purchased all of the CL 300s as well as the model 200 as they were replaced.
However, washing and sanitizing glasses became a bottleneck. The household dishwasher donated by General Electric could wash 250 pairs in over an hour. After consulting several other LERCs, COLERC purchased a commercial dish machine in June 2025, which can wash and sanitize 300 pairs in just two minutes.
Formalization and Financial Developments (2025)
With ongoing MD6 Council support, COLERC was incorporated as a Colorado non-profit in January 2025 and received 501(c)(3) IRS status. Its structure mirrors other Colorado Lions entities, with every Lion in Colorado recognized as a COLERC member. At the February 2025 Council meeting, COLERC was approved to appear on the ballot for the 2025 State Convention. The first annual meeting was held at the State Lions Convention on May 2, 2025, where COLERC bylaws were adopted. The initial Board of Directors is composed of the five founding committee members, with each district electing a new board member and one at-large member at subsequent conventions. Initial terms are staggered: District 6W and the at-large member serve three years; Districts 6NE and 6C serve two years; District 6SE serves one year. All future terms will be three years.
In the days leading up to the State Convention meeting, COLERC had the honor of hosting Lion Mark Lyons, the Second Vice President of Lions Clubs International (who is now serving as First Vice President), along with his wife, Lion Lyn. During their visit, they toured the COLERC facility, observing its operations and the progress made since its establishment. As part of the tour, Lion Mark Lyons personally operated one of the newly acquired lens analyzers, gaining firsthand experience with the technology and processes used at the center. Impressed by the advancements and organizational achievements, Lion Mark extended his congratulations to then Council Chair Lion Maria Herndon and the entire MD6 team. He specifically commended them for the successful establishment of COLERC, noting it as the first new Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (LERC) to be created in many years.
In August 2025, the MD6 Council agreed to transfer the Used Eyeglass Fund to COLERC. That portion held by the CLF was received in September. With these funds, COLERC bought two more TopCon Solos to replace the CL 300s in Woodland Park and Pueblo. By the end of 2025, COLERC operated eight TopCon Solos: four in Denver, two in Pueblo, one in Woodland Park, and one in Gill, with a ninth owned and operated by the Golden Lions Club.
Regional Collaboration and Recent Activity (2025)
In October 2025, COLERC began collaborating with the Lions of Wyoming. Wyoming Lions collect and sort glasses and process them at the State Penitentiary but lack space for final sorting and packaging. COLERC agreed to handle the final stage, and nearly 14,500 pairs of processed glasses were transferred to COLERC in October and December 2025.
Volunteer Contributions at COLERC
During the 2024-25 year, volunteers devoted a total of 2,534 hours to support efforts at COLERC. This impressive commitment reflects the ongoing dedication of both Lions and non-Lions volunteers. In addition to the efforts of Lions, COLERC has benefited from the involvement of non-Lion volunteers. Notable contributors include Mesa Labs of Lakewood, the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Colorado, Boy Scout Troop 345 (Littleton) and General Electric Northwest Sales team, as well as many dedicated individuals from the community. Their participation highlights the broad community support for COLERC’s mission.
A significant contribution was made in the form of 7,964 pairs of processed glasses, which were delivered to COLERC by Pueblo Charter, Woodland Park/Pikes Peak, and Golden Lions. These contributions are essential to the humanitarian mission of COLERC, as they directly impact the lives of those in need
In the first six months of Lion Year 2025-26, volunteers have continued to dedicate their time, with 1,601 hours already contributed. This ongoing commitment ensures the continuity and success of the programs at COLERC.
When asked about their motivation for regularly volunteering at COLERC, most Lions express that they are inspired by the opportunity to serve an important humanitarian cause. This spirit of service is at the heart of Lionism and is a primary reason why many individuals choose to join Lions Clubs.
COLERC Board of Directors
December 2025
Note: The HISTORY Tab at the top of colerc.org contains copies of supporting documents, including 2017 emails from Lion Dave Conley, 2017 invoice for two lensometers, reports of conversations and visits to LERCs, and all quarterly and annual reports. All COLERC reports to the MD6 Council and all MD6 Council minutes referred to above are available in the MD6 Dropbox accessible at colionsmd6.org.