What Are Lions?

In June, 1917, a Chicago businessman named Melvin Jones founded Lions Club International as an organization of local business clubs dedicated to improving their communities. Jones' guiding principle was "You can't get very far unless you start doing something for somebody else," and built upon this tenet to creat a worldwide organization of over 1.4 million members in over 41,000 clubs.

A major emphasis was added in 1925 when Helen Keller addressed the Lions Club International Convention and challenged the clubs to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness". This challenge was taken up and worldwide, Lions Clubs are recognized for their service to the blind and visually impaired.