202301 – Lion Magazine

by Elizabeth Edwards

October 5, 2022

A Smile for Sight

Sight is one of our most valuable senses. It allows us to connect with the moments in life and with each other. After a premature birth, twins Kaya and Alime were both diagnosed with an eye disease called retinopathy of prematurity, and they needed treatment to protect their sight and prevent blindness. Their parents, Ibrahim […]

Fun is Fundamental

Hello, Lions! Well, I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing like a new year to fill me with a renewed sense of purpose, and I feel more eager than ever to do the important work that Lions do. Every year I like to take this time to pause and assess how we’re doing as […]

by Elizabeth Edwards

January 1, 2023

The Power of Sustainability

Enel North America embarked on a new environmental partnership with Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to help make communities healthy and sustainable and protect our planet. As a leading developer and long-term owner and operator of renewable energy projects in North America, Enel and its more than 1,500 employees are dedicated to helping protect and […]

Building the Future We Want to See

Hello, Lions! Do you have big dreams for your club? Do you want to grow your membership, get young people more involved, or expand the kinds of service projects you do? When you dream big—and I know Lions like to dream big—it can feel overwhelming and hard to know where to start. But here’s the […]

by Erin Kasdin

February 7, 2023

If You Build It, They Will Come

The quaint seaside town of Seal Beach in Orange County, California, got its beginnings as a shipping port called Anaheim Landing, where growers found it a convenient distribution point for the wine they nurtured in their Southern California vineyards. But when the railroad arrived in 1875, it took over as the main method of transport […]

by Joel La Puma

February 7, 2023

Keeping it Poppin

It’s a deceptively modest fundraiser, but for one Lions Club, it’s the kernel of all their programs. Every Saturday, the Lions Club of Marshalltown, Iowa brings a popcorn machine to a local store and sells popcorn for US$2 a bag. The ingredients are modest, too: Iowa-sourced raw corn, salt, butter, and oil. What makes this […]

by Elizabeth Edwards

February 7, 2023

United in Kindness

When the war in Ukraine started in March 2022, thousands of Ukrainians fled and crossed the border into Poland and other countries for safety and security. “The days leading up to the Russian invasion, everyone was on their nerves,” recalls Yaroslav Jasznik, a Ukrainian citizen. “Everyone was expecting something bad, but actually no one had […]

by Joan Cary

February 7, 2023

Gotta Love a Locomotive

When the conductor called “All Aboard!” on the Fourth of July, even Colorado’s Loveland Lions were surprised. More than 880 riders of all ages set a record with tickets to board their replica train in the park that day. The Buckhorn Northern Railroad in Loveland’s North Lake Park is an authentic replica of a steam […]

by Joan Cary

February 7, 2023

Little Ambassador Takes Leos Around the World

He’s little. He’s legendary. And he’s a Leo. Well, sort of. Since 2018 Dustin Dumbledore has traveled to Lion and Leo events in at least four countries, received pins from International President Brian Sheehan and Past International President Brian Alexander, joined the Lions International Pin Trading Club in Calgary, ridden front and center in the […]

by Erin Kasdin

February 7, 2023

Lions are Coming for the City on the Hill

Whether it’s history, sports, or great food that interests you, you’ll find it all in Boston. And this summer you’ll also find a heck of a lot of Lions. July 7 through 11, 2023, Lions will descend upon one of the oldest cities in the United States for five days of camaraderie, shop talk, and […]

by Joan Cary

February 7, 2023

Gold Rush

More than 100 years ago, Mother Earth supplied so much iron ore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that Ishpeming, Michigan was a boom town. The population was over 13,000, mines employed many, and the economy was robust. They even had an opera house. But over the years, the industry changed, employment and population figures dropped, and […]

by Annemarie Mannion

February 7, 2023

The Greatest Catch

It’s not the sun, surf, and swaying palm trees that Lion Bill Smith remembers most about attending his first Lions International Convention in Miami Beach in 1973, it’s the trading pins. If you’ve ever been to a Lions event, you’ve probably seen one, two, or two hundred of them—tiny, colorful metal brooches sporting designs ranging […]

by Erin Kasdin

February 7, 2023

Pining For a Bit of Fun

Have you ever been inspired to throw a pinecone? If you have, and if you’ve gotten any distance with your throw, you may want to consider heading to France to compete, where Lions have made it their mission to bring not only the sport, but the world championships, to their hometown of Biscarrosse. After a […]

Innovate—and Evolve. It’s in Our Roots.

Hello, Lions! In 1917 a group of independent social clubs gathered at the LaSalle Hotel in downtown Chicago. They asked themselves if they might join forces to help their communities. At the time, it was incredibly innovative. International service organizations had yet to become a driving force for good in the world. But with the […]