Lions History 

The Lions club was founded in 1917, and has ever since carried on a lineage of service which has gradually expanded as the needs of our communities has.

The Lions Club's first projects started with programs to help veterans blinded in World War I, and continued to evolve by becoming Knights of the Blind for Helen Keller in Cedar Point Ohio in 1925. In taking up the cause for Helen Keller, Lions have spanned the globe in the treatment of blindness and have pushed for greater blindness prevention awareness. Lions clubs around the world have helped develop research hospitals in treatments for preventable blindness. We have travelled to disadvantaged countries that lack basic eye care to help prevent blindness. We have helped to establish the Eye Bank system which saves the eyesight of hundreds each year. We collect eye glasses to recycle and reissue to those that cannot afford eye glasses around the world. Our members do this and more.

The Lions club is the largest philanthropic organization in the world, not tied to or hindered by any governmental influence. Though our history is tied to Eyesight, it is not limited to it. Lions continue to take up the needs of our communities collecting hearing aids to recycle, as well as help those who cannot afford hearing aids. Developing programs for our communities regarding health issues and providing resources to our community.

If there is a natural disaster in a local Lions club region, it is typically the Lions who are first to respond within the community. Unlike other relief organizations, Lions Clubs are members of your community, they could be your neighbor, your mailman, your brother, your sister, your teacher, anyone in your community. With that in mind, realize you too can be a Lion.