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P.O. Box 314 Woodbury, CT 06798
WELCOME TO THE WOODBURY LIONS

History of the Lions Clubs In 1917, Melvin Jones, a Chicago business leader, told members of his local business club they should reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of their communities and the world. Jones’ group, the Business Circle of Chicago agreed. After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 1917, in Chicago. The new group took the name the “Association of Lions Clubs” and a national convention was held in October of that year. Within three years, Lions became an international organization, establishing the first club in Canada followed by Mexico in 1927. In the 1950s and 1960s international growth accelerated, with new clubs in Europe, Asia and Africa. Eradicating Blindness: In 1925, eight years after our founding, Helen Keller addressed the Lions Club International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio and challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Since then, Lions Clubs have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired. Youth Programs: In the late 1950s, the Leo Program was created to provide our youth with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo Clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide. Foundation: The Lions International Foundation was established in 1968 to assist with global and large-scale local humanitarian projects. Through our Foundation, Lions meet the needs of their local and global communities. Almost 100 years later, Lions Club International is the world’s largest service club organization, with 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in over 200 countries. Our mission and services include sight, health, youth, elderly, the environment and disaster relief.

Woodbury Lions Club History
Founded in 1936, the Woodbury Lions Club primary mission is to bring together service-minded people for the purpose of serving their community through fund raising and service projects. Some of the contributions to our community in the past 79 years include: Scrap Drive during World War II Assisting in the effort to establish the swimming pond at Hollow Park in 1968. The design and construction of the pavilion at Hollow Park in 1985 (dedicated in 2010 to the memory of the architect and past club president Lion Robert P. Keating). Construction of the bandstand on the North Green, dedicated to the memory of composer and Woodbury resident Leroy Anderson in 1986. Donating the cost of training one FIDELCO Guide Dog, $20,000, in 2007. The Woodbury Lions Club supports various sight and hearing related causes; collects used eyeglasses for those in need, helps support the Lions Eye Research Center at Yale University and provides local sight and hearing screenings throughout the year. Over the years we have provided scholarships to local students through our Woodbury Lions Club Foundation. These annual Awards have totaled over $170,000 in the past twelve years. Other contributions and services to our community include: American Flags displayed on Main Street in Woodbury from Memorial Day through Veterans Day. Luminaries that line the Woodbury streets on Christmas Eve. The benches found throughout the town are placed in memory of past Lions Club Members. The Woodbury Food Bank and other local nonprofit organizations receive annual donations from the Woodbury Lions Club Foundation. In addition to the Annual Car Show, the Woodbury Lions Club holds two other fundraisers each year: The Haunted Hayride which began in 1991 provides a night of Halloween entertainment for “children” of all ages. The Duck Race, our newest fundraiser for sight and hearing related causes, started in 2010. On Race Day, thousands of yellow rubber ducks are launched into a local river with the first to navigate all the hazards, keep from getting trapped along the riverbank and cross the finish line winning a prize for their “owner”. As we approach our 80th year we remain committed to serving our community. Through our fundraisers and the generous contributions to our Foundation, we hope to continue in the tradition of giving with our annual charitable grants and scholarships.
Leo Clubs

The Woodbury Lions Club has sponsored two Leo Clubs The Woodbury Middle School Leo Club Sponsored in 1997 The Nonnewaug High School Leo Club

Sponsored in 1999