St. George Lions Club is celebrating its 80th year of community service in 2025. The St. George Lions Club was first organized at a meeting of community members on March 28th, 1945, and received its club charter on May 21st, 1945, with Mr. W.D Taylor elected as the first club President.
The community is invited to celebrate with members of the St. George Lions Club at their 80th Anniversary Open House being held on Saturday October 4, 2025, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Gaukel Memorial Community Centre in St. George.
“We are inviting everyone to join us in celebrating this amazing milestone,” said Renee Wardlaw, St. George Lions Club President. “We will have cake and light refreshments, games and kid’s activities including face painting and balloons, there will be a slide show of our club’s history, and most importantly an opportunity to meet your St. George Lions Club members” added Wardlaw.
To support Vision Month in October, the St. George Lions Club is asking the community to bring to the Open House their used eyeglasses to donate as part of the Lions Eyeglasses recycling service project. Used eyeglasses are sorted, refurbished, and sent to many different locations around the globe to help give the gift of sight.
As well, those coming to the Open House will have the opportunity to learn more about the Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dog program and the important work they do in training Guide Dogs for seven distinct programs that supports and empowers Canadians living with disabilities. Guide Dog puppies in training will be at the Open House along with the Green Capes fundraising calendars.
“I am so proud to be a member of the St. George Lions Club” stated Wardlaw. “I am looking forward to our Open House to celebrate all of the hard work, dedication and service that is the foundation built by all the members who came before us and excited to look to the future of what our club will continue to do to serve our community”.
Over the past eighty years, the St. George Lions Club have been a driving force behind many improvement projects, donations, and service initiatives that have impacted both the local and global communities. Everything from building ice rinks, tennis courts, ball diamonds, sponsoring youth minor sports teams and youth programs, scholarships and supporting the schools, investing in playground equipment and pavilions, park benches, building a Memorial Forest at Elliot Field, hosting the annual kids Bike Rodeo, and providing much needed funding to many community organizations and social service agencies whose mandate is to help others.
“Our members work very hard all year long raising funds at our various events and with our very popular food trailer and we want to extend our appreciation and thanks to all those who continue to support us and the work we do” said Wardlaw. “We couldn’t do what we do without all of you” she added.
The St. George Lions Club was chartered in 1945 with twenty-six members. In 2025, the club is very active in its fundraising activities and community service projects with sixty members that are part of Lions Club International. There are over 1.4 million members in approximately 48,000 clubs across the globe making Lions Clubs International the largest service club in the world.
