Our History

The St. Petersburg Lions Club was founded in 1925 soon after Helen Keller asked the Lions to sponsor the work of the American Foundation for the Blind at the International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio. “Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?” she asked.  Lion Wilbur Herrick served as the first club President from 1927 to 1928.

The St. Petersburg Lions Foundation was established in 1966. As a charitable non-profit corporation, the Foundation is recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service  as a 501©(3) tax exempt entity.  All donations to the Foundation are tax deductable to the extent allowed by law. Contributions can be made by check, wire transfer, donations of stock, and through estate plans, wills or trusts.

Lions Beach House 

The beach front property where the Club House stands was purchased on June 13, 1938 for $10.  Lion President Burwell   Neal’s signature is memorialized on the contract.  Ground breaking for the Lions Beach House began in 1939 and the bldg was completed in  approximately 1946 through a grant from Dr. Andrew Holloway.  In a  recent letter, past member Bill Grant recalled how hard members worked to build the original structure and reminded us how the creosote on the poles that support the building’s main frame irritated everyone’s skin!

Our Logo 

The Lion logo, located above is a custom design specifically for the St. Petersburg Club. This Lion logo reminds us to appreciate the creativity and strengths of each member, as everyone brings his or her  unique contributions to the club.  Some can sing and dance, others cook or decorate, while others plan and lead, but together they all are humble servants.

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.