Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world every day because they share a core belief - to serve their community.
Lions have a dynamic history. Founded in 1917, we are best known for fighting blindness, but we also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects - including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.
Lions give sight. By conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease, Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all. We have extended our commitment to sight conservation through countless local efforts and through our international SightFirst Program, which works to eradicate blindness.
Lions serve youth. Our community projects often support local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring. Internationally, we offer many programs, including the Peace Poster Contest, Youth Camps and Exchange and Lions Quest.
Our Leo Program provides the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide.
Lions award grants. Since 1968, the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) has awarded more than US$700 million in grants to support Lions humanitarian projects around the world. LCIF was also ranked the number one nongovernmental organization in a 2007 study by The Financial Times.
Lions help during disasters. Together, our Foundation and Lions are helping communities following natural disasters by providing for immediate needs such as food, water, clothing and medical supplies – and aiding in long-term reconstruction.
Lions are active. Our motto is "We Serve." Lions are part of a global service network, doing whatever is necessary to help our local communities.
Internationally Lions conduct vision and health screenings, build parks, support eye hospitals, award scholarships, assist youth, provide help in time of disaster and much more. Lions were challenged to be "Knights of the Blind" by the late Helen Keller in 1923. As part of that challenge, Australian Lions collect and recycle spectacles for redistribution in third world countries. Lions are also very active in sight conservation and blindness prevention programmes, even within Australia in the more remote areas.
Did you know that the white cane used by the visually impaired started out as a Lions project before it became internationally recognised?
For more about Lions Clubs, go to www.lionsclubs.org
Mildura is located on the Murray River in the north-west of Victoria on the border of New south Wales, and is 550kms north-west from Melbourne, 400kms north-east of Adelaide and 1,080lms west of Sydney.
The climate of Sunraysia is warm and dry, which has an average:
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annual rainfall of 292.1mm;
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122 clear days per year;
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annual minimum temperature of 3.6°C;
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annual maximum temperature of 35°C, and
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77 days per year when the temperature exceeds 30°C.
The population of Mildura is 32,738 with 4.5% more females. The Sunraysia area has a population of 55,937 and 14,353 in the Wentworth Shire within New South Wales.
Key industries are dry-land farming, irrigated horticulture (table grapes, wine grapes, dried grapes, citrus and vegetables), tourism, food and beverage manufacturing, transport and logistics, retail, health and community services.
Emerging industries are renewable energy generation, aquaculture, mineral sands mining and recycling
The Sunraysia region grows the following percentage of Australia's produce:
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98% of dried vine fruit;
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%75 of table grapes;
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66% of almonds;
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%48% of pistachios;
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24% of citrus;
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20% of wine grape crush;
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13% of carrots, and
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9% of asparagus;
Transport consists of rail (goods only), road and air. The Mildura airport is the busiest regional airport in Victoria, with 138 flights per week and 202,179 passengers per year (2012).
Mildura is accessible by air from:
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Melbourne with a flight time of 70 minutes;
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Sydney with a flight time of 130 minutes;
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Adelaide with a flight time of 65 minutes, and
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Broken Hill with a flight time of 55 minutes.
Arts Mildura presents a year-round program of events set in unique Murray River locations, including:
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Murray River International Music Festival
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Wentworth Arts Festival
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Mildura Writers' Festival
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Murray Darling Palimpsest
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Mildura Summer Salt Festival
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Wentworth Country Music Festival
The Murray and Darling Rivers have made the Sunraysia region a great destination for tourists, who also enjoy visiting the many national parks such as Mungo National Park, which is at the centre of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area.
Food and wine, water sports and sporting events also draw large numbers of visitors to the region.
The Mildura region hosts more than 300 events each year, attracting people from across the country and across the world.
The Lions Club of Mildura was formed on 13/10/1966 and chartered on 11/03/1967. We are an active and dedicated Service Club in the Sunraysia Region based in the city of Mildura in the north-western corner of Victoria.
We can be seen at Community events with our BBQ trailers, catering van and cool-room.
From activities such as this, Lions raise funds to support Local, National and International projects.
Join us in making our communities and the world better places to live.
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.
