Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization: We have 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs worldwide.
Lions are everywhere: We’re active men and women in more than 206 countries and geographic areas.
Lions have a dynamic history: Founded in 1917, we are best known for fighting blindness – it’s part of our history as well as our work today. But we also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects – including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.
Lions give sight: By conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease, Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all. We have extended our commitment to sight conservation through countless local efforts and through our international SightFirst Program, which works to eradicate blindness.
Lions serve youth: Our community projects often support local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring. Internationally, we offer many programs, including the Peace Poster Contest, Youth Camps and Exchange and Lions Quest.
Together, our Foundation and Lions are helping communities following natural disasters by providing for immediate needs such as food, water, clothing and medical supplies – and aiding in long-term reconstruction.
Lions are active: Our motto is “We Serve.” Lions are part of a global service network, doing whatever is necessary to help our local communities.
Kingman Mohave Lions Club
As part of Arizona Multiple District 21, the Kingman Mohave Lions participate in many local,
state and international Lions projects. We provide free eye exams and eyeglasses for
children in the Kingman area who cannot afford them.
We participate in the Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation to provide eye surgeries and collect used eyeglasses to be recycled for use here in Arizona and around the world.
Arizona Lions have been recycling used eyeglasses for over 20 years. With the help of the community, our Club processes about 3,000 eye glasses annually, contributing to over 250,000 pairs of eyeglasses processed through the Lions Vision Center annually.
“We Serve”
History
Beginning in 1917 Chicago business leader Melvin Jones asked a simple and world-changing question – what if people put their talents to work improving their communities?
1920: Lions became international with the first club in Canada. Mexico followed in 1927. In the 1950s and 1960s clubs sprang up in Europe, Asia and Africa.
1925: Helen Keller addressed Lions Clubs International to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Since then, lions have worked to aid the blind and visually impaired.
1945: Uniting Nations. Lions were one of the first nongovernmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter.
1957: The Leo Program was created to provide youth with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in over 140 countries worldwide.
1968: Establishing the Lions Clubs International Foundation assisted with global and large-scale local humanitarian projects.
1990: SightFirst, Launched in 1990, targets the major causes of blindness: cataract, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
Today: Almost 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs.