Lions Clubs Now Prominently Featured in Trudeau Family Home and Prime Minister Office When Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, spoke at the Lions of Canada New Voices Symposium in Ottawa in May of 2019, Lions had expected the prime minister to attend as well. He was unable to make it and therefore unable to receive the Peace Plaque the Lions had prepared to […]
Rooted In Service Service is the foundation of Lions. It’s who we are and what we do. Our roots run deep — stretching far and wide to build lasting connections and strengthen our world. Every time we serve, our roots grow stronger and deeper. Where roots run deep The 200-foot stone wall that borders International President Mark Lyon’s […]
Crossing into Friendship Lion Mike Contreras of Whidbey Island, Washington, was about to cross a busy street when he noticed an elderly man in the crosswalk struggling to maneuver his wheelchair. The Oak Harbor Lion and former police officer quickly jumped in to help. “As I pushed his wheelchair across the street, he told me he was moving […]
Q&A with Lion Stephanie Graef After receiving several invitations, Stephanie Graef finally said yes to joining the Chassell Lions Club in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. At first, she simply wanted to get more involved in her community. What she didn’t expect was how naturally her work as an anti-human trafficking engagement specialist would connect with her experience as a Lion. How’d […]
Transforming Lives at Both Ends of the Leash When three wide-eyed puppies arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) on a sunny spring day in Phoenix, 30 female inmates were eagerly waiting to meet them. “Everybody wants to get in on it,” said Lion Cris Gerard, treasurer of the Lions Project for Canine Companions (LPCC) and the driving force behind the Arizona prison […]
Fastened for the Future At first light on Pediatorkope Island in eastern Ghana, parents walk their children to the muddy banks of the Volta River. No yellow buses wait here. Instead, small wooden boats line the shore, ready to carry students to school on the mainland. Children ages 4 to 15 pile into the narrow vessels — some with […]
My Surprise Induction I share the story of my Lions induction often — partly because it’s pretty comical, but mostly because it shaped who I am today. Even though I grew up around Lions, I never realized it was an international organization. To me, it was just the club my parents and all their friends were in. I […]
The Science of Service You know the feeling. You pull on your Lions gear, maybe still yawning from the night before or shaking off a long day at the office. But the moment you arrive at a service project, roll up your sleeves and start connecting with others, something shifts. The tiredness fades, your mood lifts and a surge […]
Born to Be Kind I didn’t step into service one day — I was born into it. Some of my earliest memories are of standing beside my parents outside supermarkets, collecting food for families in need. My small hands held donation cans while their big hearts showed me what kindness looked like in action. I learned early that service […]
The Flyin’ Lion Most people fear falling. Lori Bennett paid for the privilege. Sitting in a small propeller plane at 14,000 feet, she watched — with the last sliver of her vision — as her friend vanished out the door. “Scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” she said. But there was no time for fear. Moments later, with her […]