The Eden Prairie Lions was officially chartered in 1961 with 41 members. At the time, Eden Prairie was still a rural village of only 2,000 people. The club was to meet on the first and third Mondays of each month to discuss community events and projects such as providing eye glasses to the community, holiday events for the school, a fund-raising project selling light bulbs, and organizing a summer recreation program.

The first Schooner Days was held in June of 1964. The event was held in a member’s pasture on Riverview Road and included a good-sized parade of four high school marching bands, procession of kids, floats, and more. As Schooner Days became bigger and raised more funds, the Lions increased investments in the community. This included purchasing Eden Prairie’s first fire truck and rescue vehicle, supporting both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Little League Baseball, student programs, and a pediatric eye clinic at the University of Minnesota.

Eden Prairie has grown to a prosperous community of over 64,000. The EP Lions now has over 100 men and women members, dedicated to serving our community through personal involvements and club events. EP Lions have been involved in a myriad of  programs addressing vision, hearing, diabetes, and other worthy causes.