On Friday, September 16th, nine members of the Linden Lions Club proudly displayed their new sign on the corner of Dewitt and St. George Avenue. The Linden Lions Club has been in existence since 1945 and next year will be the 100th anniversary of Lions Clubs International.
In 1917 a businessman in Chicago, Melvin Jones, decided to rally other businessmen to join in an effort to help those in need in their community. From that humble beginning Lions Clubs sprung up all over the United States and then all over the world. Today there aare 1.3 million members in more than 45,000 clubs. In 1925 Hellen Keller addressed the Lions at an International Convention and challenged them to become “knights of the blind”. Since then the Lions have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired. After launching SightFirst in 1990, more than $346 million was raised to prevent major causes of blindness globally: cataract, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
In 1917 a businessman in Chicago, Melvin Jones, decided to rally other businessmen to join in an effort to help those in need in their community. From that humble beginning Lions Clubs sprung up all over the United States and then all over the world. Today there aare 1.3 million members in more than 45,000 clubs. In 1925 Hellen Keller addressed the Lions at an International Convention and challenged them to become “knights of the blind”. Since then the Lions have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired. After launching SightFirst in 1990, more than $346 million was raised to prevent major causes of blindness globally: cataract, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
The Lions were one of the first nongovernmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter in 1945 and have supported the work of the UN ever since. Lions are the only charitable organization recognized by the United Nations with a special day at the UN every year.
Lions Clubs International Foundation, established in 1968, meets the needs of global and local communities in times of disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and fires. The motto of the Lions is “We Serve”, and we continue to extend our mission of service in all corners of the globe.
Over the years, Linden Lions have supported any organizations that provides assistance to the blind such as Camp Marcella (a camp for blind children), Camp Happiness (for blind adults), St. Joseph School for the Blind, Union County Blind Association, Mavis (music school for the blind or visually impaired), eyeglasses for needy children, collected thousands of used eyeglasses which are recycled and sent overseas. We have also provided many scholarships and supported numerous other charitable endeavors.The Linden Lions Club has several projects planned for this fall such as a Health Fair, a Fish Fry dinner, and a garage sale. Please look for details of these events and support our efforts.
We are always looking for more members and if you are interested in joining us you can attend a meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the JTG Center.
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