Towanda Lions Club
"We Serve"
(Originally written by Roy Redding, updated April 2021, July 2024)
The Lions Club of Towanda, Illinois was chartered March 1, 1975 with 18 members. More than 200 Lions Club members from Illinois attended the chartering ceremony at Illinois State University. This Lions Club is one of more than 45,000 clubs in more than 206 countries and geographic areas with more than 1.35 million members world-wide.
Affiliated with Lions Clubs International, our motto is “We Serve.” The Mission Statement is "To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing services through community involvement and international cooperation."
This is a not-for-profit service organization providing financial and physical assistance to people and organizations in the Towanda community. Membership requires a small time investment and gives a great deal of satisfaction from helping others. Known as the organization that assists the blind persons of the world through recycling of eyeglasses, they also collect used hearing aids, keys, and aluminum pop tops.
Monthly meetings have been held at the American Legion Building in Towanda, Shoemaker’s Cafe in Towanda, Towanda Community Building and various restaurants in Bloomington-Normal. Since July 2024 monthy meetings are held at the Towanda Fire Department. A rotation of four committees provide desserts and arrange for a program at meetings held the second Thursday of every month.
Officers consist of a President, 1st Vice President, 2ncI Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Tail Twister. The Tail Twister is the omnipotent disciplinarian charged with keeping a reasonable degree of decorum during meetings.
Members give something to the Towanda community through several activities:
- Ham & Bean Dinner
- Financial assistance for eye exams and eyeglasses
- Financial support and labor to Towanda District Library
- Financial support and labor to Historic Route 66: A Geographic Journey
- Financial support to TLNO organization for holiday food baskets
- Highway Litter Control Program
- Illinois Lions Candy Day
- Labor to Habitat For Humanity
- Snocones at Easter Seals Camp at Lake Bloomington
- Snocones at Camp Lions at Lake Bloomington
- Snocones at Towanda Elementary School’s Play Day
- Snocones at Towanda 4th of July Flea Market
- Scholarship to a college student with a Towanda address
- Easter Egg Hunt
