HISTORY OF THE HAMBURG LIONS
The Hamburg Lions Club was chartered December 9, 1970, by the Shartlesville Lions Club, with 38 members, and we later chartered the Shoemakersville Lions Club. The International Lions Club motto is “We Serve” and the Hamburg Lions have served the Hamburg Community, the Lions District 14P, the Pennsylvania Lions, and the International Lions Club for over 50 years! Lion Donald Yocum was the first president of the new Hamburg club, the first of 49 Presidents. One of our members, Lion Stanley Schappell, was proud to serve Berks and Chester County Lions Clubs as a District Governor.
If you visit the Hamburg Borough Hall and Municipal Center, the lobby has glass display cases that hold various awards and honors that the Hamburg Lions Club have received over our 50+ years.
Hamburg Lions Club works with other Lions Clubs to improve our community’s health to eliminate all blindness. Lions also work to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes, Lyme Disease, and deafness. Some related organizations that Lions Clubs support are Vision Resource Center (formerly the Berks County Blind Association), Delaware Valley Eye Bank Foundation, Leader Dogs for the Blind, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and Berks County Association for the Hearing Impaired. Some of our club members are specially trained to screen for vision issues in local preschools, using a special Kidsight camera.
Our members have attended International Lions Club, Pennsylvania Lions, and District Lions conventions and meetings. Hamburg Lions sponsored a sight impaired high school student to the Lions Beacon Lodge Camp for the Blind in Mt Union PA, and supported the camp financially and with work crew help. Recently, our club sponsored collegiate baton twirler Emelia Adam to represent Hamburg and Pa Lions in their very popular International Lions Club Parade, in Chile.
Over the years, the Lions served the Hamburg community with some big projects located at the Hamburg Park. The Lions placed a drainage field in front of the stage, and worked with the Hamburg Rotary and the Jaycees to build the food concession building, and the Lions also placed a scoreboard at the Hamburg Park for the baseball team.
The Lions have served the Hamburg community by annual donations to the Hamburg Library, the Ambulance Association, and Hamburg Fire Company, by purchasing equipment like hydrant locator whips, the Hamburg Police Department by providing a defibrillator, and coordinating semi-annual blood drives for Keystone/Miller blood banks. In June annually, Hamburg Lions provides a scholarship to 2 graduating Hamburg Area High seniors. We’ve purchased choir robes for 100 HAHS students, and uniforms for our youth baseball teams. Hamburg Lions supports the local Scout Troops, sponsors bands and made floats for the annual King Frost Parade and co-sponsored an annual Christmas parade. We helped the Blue Mountain Community Senior Center with monthly birthday cakes and an annual volunteer meal. Hamburg Lions sponsored Christmas Lights on streets in town, on Fourth Street from Windsor Street to Franklin Street and State Street from Church Street to Second Street. For even more community visibility, the club sponsored and manned a ‘Santa House’ in town, supplying small Christmas gifts to those wanting to meet Santa Claus. Most recently, Hamburg Lions also collects gently used medical equipment to distribute to those in need, for a donation or use for free.
Hamburg Lions have raised funds through dues, Bingo at the Hamburg Park over Memorial Day Weekend and various Saturdays in the Summer months, Tent, Canopy, Tables, and Chair rentals, Annual Chicken BBQs, Member Memorials, Broom Sales, Lottery Calendar Sales, bake sales, Entertainment books, Hamburger Days and Sidewalk Sale Food Stands, and our popular Fieldhouse Dance in February – the GreaseBand Dance, held around Valentine’s Day.
All Lions Clubs collect used eyeglasses, which get distributed to those in need in 3rd world countries. Hamburg Lions also collects aluminum SODA tabs (for Ronald McDonald House), and the high school Leo Club collects cell phones and used ink cartridges, which are also recycled. Look for drop-off boxes at Tompkins Bank and Walmart. Through the years, Hamburg Lions held meetings at various locations around Hamburg, the Hamburg Moose, then the West Hamburg Hotel, the Third Street Café, the Hamburg Borough Hall. Currently, we meet at the Blue Mountain Family Restaurant.
OUR MISSION 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.
As you can see, Hamburg Lions Club has done a lot to better our Community and the World, but we need more members to continue to serve. If you have any questions, or you would like to become a Lions Club member, please contact Michael Adams at 610-562-5933, Lisa Johnson at 484-668-0592 or Amy Lovins at 484-353-8963
Hamburg Lions Club
