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Our HistoryAGAWAM LIONS CLUB HISTORY (Abridged) The Agawam Lions were chartered in 1944, with 85 charter members. Early in its history, the club held meetings at the Charles Leonard House, then at the Agawam Congregational Church. In the 1960's, club membership swelled to 250 members, including many WWII and Korean War veterans. During this entire period, the club ran and sponsored dozens of fund raising events to benefit town organizations, school activities and regional and national groups. The chicken Bar-B-Que at the Big E started in 1961 with a tent, tables and chairs, a kitchen area and a home refrigerator. Five years later, in 1966, a cinder block building was erected including a fire pit, walk-in refrigerator, kitchen, storage areas, dining area and restrooms. The Agawam Lions Chicken Bar-B-Que became a fixture every fall at the Big E.and became the club's largest fund raising initiative. By 2010, over the previous 40 years, the club has donated over $467,000 to the Massachusetts Eye Research Foundation. Historically, the club has had hundreds of members, many of whom distinguished themselves as recipients of a variety of impressive awards such as the Melvin Jones Award (in memory of the founder of the Lions), International Lion Sight Award, Lions Life Awards and district governors, state officers and many past presidents. The club is one of the top 3 in the state in fundraising for a club of its size. For many years, it was number 1 in its group. Despite a fire in the pit area during the Big E run in 1986, the club was back in business in short order and to this day is one of the few surviving not-for-profits operating successfully every fall. Starting 5 years ago, the Lions started an annual event that has become its second most successful fund raising event: a live comedy show. It has sold out every year and includes raffles and door prizes. Over the last 66 years, the Agawam Lions Club has held hundreds of fundraising events of every description from small barbeques to the most complex: the Big E chicken dinner operation. The funds raised over the years (over $1,000,000) have gone to literally hundreds of groups, projects, charities, individuals, schools and countless civic projects. A small sample of our funds recipients include Shriners Hospital, the American Heart Association, Willie Ross School for the Deaf, local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the YMCA. The club maintains a scholarship fund for college-bound high school seniors and a separate Sight and Hearing Fund. The Agawam Lions are governed by a board of directors, elected annually, operating under by-laws and maintains close relationships with Lions district, regional and state entities. We are one of 45,000 Lions clubs world-wide totaling 1,300,000 members, in over 200 countries. Archived information compiled by Warren Roberts 2010 / Summarized by Robert Kay |
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Agawam Lions Club contact information | Website services by one85 | ALC Webmail Agawam Lions Club · P. O. Box 52 · Agawam, MA 01001 |
