Looking for a Few Good Lions
Sep 01, 2022 01:59PM ● By Paul Mercer
The Chillicothe Lions Club is proud to be a member of the largest service organization in the world, the Lions Club International. With over 48,000 clubs in over 200 countries in the world, it has 1.4 million members in it. Their motto is “We Serve.” Part of their purpose is to take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social, and moral welfare of the country and our club shares this view as well.
The Lions Club was started in 1917 in Oak Brook, Illinois by Melvin Jones. In 1925, at its convention in Cedar Point, Ohio the Lions club found their focus on work for the blind and visually impaired. That evening Helen Keller addressed the convention and asked the Lions to be “Knights of the Blind.” That is what they have been ever since, providing vision and hearing assistance for the less fortunate.
Free eyeglasses, hearing aids, vision and hearing screening, and cataract surgeries have been provided for millions through the years. Research and prevention of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy has benefited untold numbers of people as well. Their Leader Dog program provided training and placement of dogs to the blind for decades. They also provide vision and hearing busses for tests to communities and schools. Summer camps for low and no vision and hearing youngsters are provided each year free of charge to youngsters. Lions International has eradicated river blindness in Central America and is in the process of doing the same thing on the continent of Africa.
Local clubs contribute to the above but do so much more for their communities. Recently the Chillicothe Lions Club has donated $2,400 for school and teacher supplies to our local schools, $2,000 for our fireworks display, $2,000 for college scholarships, $500 for Community Needs, $500 for theater improvements, and $250 for the Pearce Community Center. They do this through raising money for the Mr. Chillicothe Contest, their annual Pancake Breakfast with the Rotary Club, and their annual Candy Day sales. All the money raised by the Lions Club is devoted to charitable causes with nearly all of the money raised directly benefiting our hometown.
The Lions Club was started in 1917 in Oak Brook, Illinois by Melvin Jones. In 1925, at its convention in Cedar Point, Ohio the Lions club found their focus on work for the blind and visually impaired. That evening Helen Keller addressed the convention and asked the Lions to be “Knights of the Blind.” That is what they have been ever since, providing vision and hearing assistance for the less fortunate.
Free eyeglasses, hearing aids, vision and hearing screening, and cataract surgeries have been provided for millions through the years. Research and prevention of glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy has benefited untold numbers of people as well. Their Leader Dog program provided training and placement of dogs to the blind for decades. They also provide vision and hearing busses for tests to communities and schools. Summer camps for low and no vision and hearing youngsters are provided each year free of charge to youngsters. Lions International has eradicated river blindness in Central America and is in the process of doing the same thing on the continent of Africa.
Local clubs contribute to the above but do so much more for their communities. Recently the Chillicothe Lions Club has donated $2,400 for school and teacher supplies to our local schools, $2,000 for our fireworks display, $2,000 for college scholarships, $500 for Community Needs, $500 for theater improvements, and $250 for the Pearce Community Center. They do this through raising money for the Mr. Chillicothe Contest, their annual Pancake Breakfast with the Rotary Club, and their annual Candy Day sales. All the money raised by the Lions Club is devoted to charitable causes with nearly all of the money raised directly benefiting our hometown.
Currently your hometown Lions Club is conducting a membership drive to enhance our service to our community. We believe not only in making Chillicothe a better place to live and raise our families but also in having fun while serving our community. The Mr. Chillicothe contest is a great example of that philosophy. We meet at Pearce Community Center on the second Wednesday evening each month at 7pm. You may contact any Chillicothe Lion for more information or you may simply show up for one of our meetings at Pearce Community Center. Please consider joining us. All community spirited adult men and women are eligible! You will not regret it!