The Darien Lions Club was formed in 1971 by several local residents.  Charter members who are still active in the Club include Bob McDonnell, Harold Oban, Tom Pankow, and Kris Sant.  Our Club has grown to nearly 150 members.  Our sole purpose, consistent with the Lions Clubs International charter, is to raise funds for the needy.  Our Club donates the majority of the funds we raise to needy local area residents and other charitable organizations.
 

Major events that we sponsor are Darien's 4th of July Parade, the Darien Fest corn and beverage tents, our Halloween Party (which is held at Darien's Sportsplex), Candy Day, Pancake Breakfast, and our Holiday Food Baskets program.  We are part of LCI's District 1J of Illinois, and participate in fund raising events they sponsor including a bowling tournament, annual district and state conventions, and Sight & Sound Sweepstakes.  In addition, our Club runs several local activities to cover our administrative costs including a Steak Fry, a Smoker, and an annual Golf Outing and Big Raffle.  Additionally, we are members of the Darien Chamber of Commerce, which affords us the benefit of great partnerships with local businesses.  
 

We meet two times a month from September through June.  One meeting is a business meeting, and the other is a dinner meeting that features a guest speaker.   Four of our dinner meetings are semi-formals which wives/significant-others attend.  Although we are serious in our work, we always manage to have a little fun as well. 

                    

The International Association of Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago businessman Melvin Jones.  He believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large.
Since 1917, Lions clubs have offered people the opportunity to give something back to their communities.  From involving members in projects as local as cleaning up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the world's blind, Lions clubs have always embraced those committed to building a brighter future for their community.  Our Mission Statement is:  To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation. Today with 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas, Lions have expanded their focus to help meet the ever-increasing needs of our global community.
 

Our programs are continually changing to meet new needs and greater demands, but our mission has never wavered: "We Serve."

The current major service commitment of Lions Clubs International is the prevention and reversal of blindness.  Other major Lions programs include drug awareness, diabetes awareness, hearing and speech action, work with the deaf, citizenship and educational services, health services, and charitable activities to help the needy and less fortunate. 

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LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL
MISSION STATEMENT

TO CREATE and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for

humanitarian needs by providing volunteer services through community

involvement and international cooperation.

OBJECTIVES

TO CREATE and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world.

TO PROMOTE the principles of good government and good citizenship.

TO TAKE an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community.

TO UNITE the Clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship and mutual understanding.

TO PROVIDE a forum for the open discussion of all matters of public interest; provided, however,

that partisan politics and sectarian religion shall not be debated by Club members.

TO ENCOURAGE service-minded men to serve their community without personal financial reward,

and to encourage efficiency and promote high ethical standards in commerce,

industry, professions, public works and private endeavors.

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