HISTORY

The Wilmington Lions Club was chartered on July 28, 1953.  That means we have logged over 50 years of service to the Wilmington community.  We operate under the auspices of the the Lions of Illinois, the parent being Lions Clubs International.  The following timeline is a brief history of the formation of today’s International Lions.

1917 - The Beginning
Chicago business leader Melvin Jones asked a simple and world-changing question - what if people put their talents to work improving the communities?  Almost 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with more than 1.3 million members in more than 45,000 clubs.

1920 - Going International
Just three years after our founding, Lions became international when the first club was established in Canada with Mexico following in 1927.

1925 - Eradicating Blindness
Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention and challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.”  Since then, we have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired.

 1945 - Uniting Nations

The Lions Club was one of the first nongovermental organizations invited to assist the drafting of the United National Charter and has supported the work of the UN ever since.

1945 - Uniting Nations
The Lions Club was one of the first nongovernmental organizations invited to assist the drafting of the United National Charter and has supported the work of the UN ever since.

1957 - Organizing Youth Programs
The Leo Program was created to provide youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering.  There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries.

1968- Establishing Our Foundation
Lions Clubs International Foundation assists Lions with global and large-scale humanitarian projects.

1990 - Launching SightFirst
Through SightFirst, Lions are restoring sight and preventing blindness on a global scale.  Lions have raised more than $346 million for this initiative.