Who doesn’t love a carnival? It’s a place where you can bring your whole family and spend the day enjoying games, good food and special events, all while having lots of fun.And that’s exactly the experience Lions in Malaysia set out to offer in several communities — with a special Lion twist: life-enhancing service projects as the main attraction.Lions in District 308 B3 in Malaysia created an innovative and exciting way to offer their services in communities without Lions clubs by hosting Lions Service Carnivals. These events have proven to be a great way for communities to benefit from Lions’ service and learn what being a Lion is all about.A festival of fun and serviceThe Kuala Lumpur event held in September 2024 was open to everyone and included booths featuring service projects tied to Lions International’s eight global causes — childhood cancer, diabetes, disaster relief, environment, humanitarian, hunger, vision and youth.Carnival-goers were offered an array of services. Haircuts were provided to kids at the childhood cancer kiosk, and attendees could get diabetes and blood pressure screenings at the diabetes awareness booth. There were fire prevention and CPR demonstrations at the disaster-relief station, a recycling campaign at the environment exhibit and hot food was served at the hunger booth. Vision screenings were available to all and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament was held for young people.The carnival in Kuala Lumpur also offered peace-themed coloring contests, book exchanges for students, aerobic exercise and yoga classes, and a wheel of fortune with prizes. Other highlights included free games and food, a blood drive, an organ pledge station and complimentary legal advice. All of the service activities held at the carnival were selected based on the needs of the community where the event was held.“This is our first time coming to the carnival,” said Soniyaa A/P Rajendra. “I came with my husband and five children. We wanted to get some medical checkups, and I brought my kids for the coloring contest. We’re all having a good time, and it’s nice to be together here as a family. Lions clubs offer a lot of benefits, and I plan to either become a volunteer for Lions or join a club in the near future.”Opportunities for Club GrowthThe carnivals are an excellent way to recruit new members, start new clubs, rejuvenate existing ones and raise awareness of Lions. To date, Malaysian Lions have held seven carnivals within their district, and all have been resounding successes. Collectively, the events have provided much-needed services to more than 2,000 people, brought in 60 new and charter members, and resulted in one new club and two club branches.“Based on my experience helping out at the carnivals,” said Lion Serene Lim of the JB Premier Lions Club in Johor Bahru, “people really want to know more about Lions, so we need to reach out. We must open our arms and welcome everyone, which is why our carnivals are such important events. They’re 100% interaction between Lions and our communities, and we’re showing them what Lions do and how we serve those in need.”Lion Sia Sheue Wah volunteered at the event in Kuala Lumpur.“It was at another carnival that I got to know about Lions,” she said. “I saw that the event really brought many meaningful services to the community, so I joined a Lions club. Everyone has a job and a family, but when all of us contribute a little bit, we can make our event successful. Earlier this year, I chartered a club with 22 members and introduced my five children to Lions, too.”Want to bring a service carnival to your community? Watch this video to get tips on hosting your own successful event!