Several organizations dropped by to lend their voices for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic’s Record-A-Thon on Thursday. Among them were the Santa Barbara Newcomers Club, Families in Philanthropy and the Santa Barbara Host Lions Club.

Lions all over the world have long been known for their work with the blind and visually impaired. In fact, the Lions Sight & Hearing Center in Santa Barbara recently awarded $5,000 to the Santa Barbara unit of RFB&D so the nonprofit organization could purchase special playback devices to accompany its audio textbook service for area schools. Lions Clubs throughout the region donate regularly to RFB&D.

But Bill Redding, president of the Santa Barbara Host Lions Club (celebrating its 80th year here), wanted his club to do more than just contribute money. He recruited 12 club members to join him in reading at Record-A-Thon.

“Our mission is simple: ‘to serve’,” Redding said. “And volunteering for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic is an excellent opportunity to serve.”

Redding’s goal for his club is that its members volunteer on a regular basis with RFB&D.

“I want 10 members to contribute at least three hours a month,” he said. “That’s 360 hours!”

Redding enjoyed his own recording experience Thursday, reading from Barnaby Conrad’s Matador. “I got to put Spanish inflections into the reading,” he exclaimed.

One of the Santa Barbara Host Lions Club’s newest members is KJEE morning DJ Spencer Fischer, who actually has been an RFB&D volunteer for more than two years.

“It’s kind of funny,” Fischer said. “I was a table host for an RFB&D luncheon last year and Bill Redding was a table host near me. Impressed by the number of people I had recruited for my table, Bill came over and said, ‘Why don’t you join our club and help me bring in new members?’ I’m about service, the Lions are about service, so I joined!”

Fisher already has recruited a couple of newer, younger members.

One of those new members is Michael Vidal, who read from Steven Cannell’s newest mystery, Three Shirt Deal.  Of the reading experience, Vidal said, “It is harder than it seems.  It makes you more conscientious of the words that come out of your mouth — the pronunciation, articulation, things like that.  What I’m taking away as a reader is that by helping others you are also helping yourself!”

Vidal’s view was echoed by another new Lions member, Adam Pirozzi.

“Reading and reading comprehension are already difficult,” he said. “Couple it with a reading disability and it becomes really eye-opening to see how important it is with what you are doing as a volunteer for RFB&D.”

Pirozzi tackled one of the more difficult books being read this week for Record-A-Thon, Dana Milbank’s Homo Politicus.

Books recorded during this week’s Record-A-Thon will be added to the organization’s audio library so students in need can learn through listening. The Record-A-Thon continues through noon Saturday. Click here for more information or to sign up, or call 805.681.0531.

Tim Owens is the executive director of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.