Since 1940

Simply put,  The Ellwood City Lions Club is a part of an international organization that serves the blind.  Our membership comprises of local persons of good moral character and reputation that devote their time volunteering.

We were  chartered  with The International Association of Lions Clubs on November 13, 1940, under the Pennsylvania Council of Lions Clubs, District 14-N, Region 5, Zone 2 membership.

WE SUPPORT Lions Clubs International (LCI) in donations for worldwide sight conservation, hearing and speech action, diabetes program, eyeglass collections and positive youth development programs.

But, WE SERVE our community.  For 74 years, The Ellwood City Lions Club raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that helped individuals, organizations and other causes within the local, county and state associations.  Some of the recipients, of our financial donations and support, are:
  • Ellwood City Eyeglasses Program for the needy
  • MTI Camera Screening for the Children
( By the way, during our screening in 1999, we saved (1) child’s eye sight. )
  • Lawrence County Blind Association
  • PA Association For The Blind
  • Ellwood City Bowl-A-Thon for the blind
  • Leader Dog Foundation
  • PA Lions Hearing Research Foundation
  • PA Lions Beacon Lodge Camp
  • Western PA School For Blind Children
  • Diabetes Research
  • Ellwood City Little League Baseball Team
  • Ellwood City Stiefel Park Softball Field
  • Ellwood City High School Student-Of-The-Month
  • Collection of old eyeglasses
  • PA Lions Sight Conservation and Eye Research
  • Ellwood City Easter Egg Hunt for Children
( By the way, the Ellwood City Lions Club was the 1st to hold an Easter Egg Hunt in 1947. )
  • Ellwood City Hospital
  • Ellwood City Library
  • Ellwood City Food Bank
  • Infrared Cameras for Local Area Fire Departments
  • Beauty Contest for Cancer Survivors
  • Children Peace Poster Contest


LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL

The official name is: “The International Association of Lions Clubs”.  Lions are the volunteers of clubs, grouped under an international organization, who enjoy fellowship and dedication of fellow Lions, help those in need around the world and who make individual communities a better place to live.

“Lionism” began in the United States in 1917, when a group of independent clubs responded to an idea presented to them by a young Chicago insurance agent Melvin Jones.  The idea was one of service as a group to their fellow men without regard to politics, religion, race or in any way, the personal interest of the members.  This was heralded as a departure from a trend current at that time, forming clubs basically with a commercial motive.  A conference was called of some 25 independent clubs in June of 1917 and from this meeting forward our international organization was born.

In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA, and challenged Lions to become the "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness."  Since then, we have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired.  Through our “Sight First” program, from donations for research to paying for surgeries to buying eyeglasses and visual aides, Lions have raised more than $415 million to save the eyesight of millions of people worldwide, including low vision, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Today, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest, service club organization, with more than 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs on every continent that act on the same simple idea:  Let's improve our communities.

LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS:
300 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842 USA
(630) 571-5466 telephone
(630) 571-8890 facsimile

OUR EMBLEM

It consists of a gold letter “L” standing for Law, Liberty, Loyalty, Love, Life and Lions which is on a circular field. Bordering this is a circular gold area with two conventionalized lion profiles facing away from the center, symbolically, facing the past and the future - proud of the past and confident of the future. Word “Lions” appears at the top and word “International” at the bottom. Every member is obligated to wear and display the Lions emblem with pride.


THE COLORS

To Lions, color purple stands for loyalty to the country, to friends and to oneself and for integrity of the mind and heart. It is the traditional color of strength, courage and tireless dedication to our cause. The color gold symbolizes sincerity of purpose, liberality in judgment, purity in the generosity of mind, heart and purse toward a fellow man.


LIONS TOAST

" Not above you, not beneath you, but with you. "


OUR MISSION STATEMENT

" To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation. "