About

For 84 years we have lived the Lion's motto... WE SERVE.

Come help us help the Community, our Neighbors, and the World.

Aberdeen Lions

ABERDEEN LIONS is a “Hands On Club” that participates in work parties “Painting the Corridor”, providing clean-up for the Lady Washington “Seaport Museum”, and most notably for our “BICYCLES from HEAVEN” project.

This project involves collecting surplus and abandoned bicycles from families, police departments, and other sources. Lions members transport them to the Stafford Creek facility where inmates in a training program learn to rebuild, restore, and safety-check bicycles, making them safe for riding. In the past nine years, the club has distributed over 3,500 bicycles in this program.

Lions Club International

In 1917, at the height of World War One, a group of Chicago businessmen, inspired by founding member Melvin Jones’ motto, “You can’t do anything until you’ve helped someone”, organized the first Lions Club. The organization spread throughout the country and has grown to become the largest N.G.O. (non-governmental organization) in the world with 1.4 million members in over 200 countries.

At the 1925 Lions convention Lions were challenged by Helen Keller to become the “Knights of the Blind in the Crusade Against Darkness”. Since that year, the Lions have become popularly known as, “the glasses people”. On the first weekend in May, Lions around the world can be seen offering “White Cane” badges as symbols of support for eye care programs including research and treatment of diabetes, now the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Aberdeen Lions History

In 1940, a group of Aberdeen businessmen joined the world-wide organization at the invitation of the Olympia Lions Club.

The new Aberdeen Lions quickly sponsored clubs in (1941) Hoquiam; (1947) Quinault, Cosmopolis and Raymond; (1958) Central Park, which also led to clubs in Clearwater/Kalaloch, Westport and Ocean Shores.

Aberdeen Lions Foundation which produces the “Toast the Harbor Festival” is a non-profit 501 C-3 Corporation. More than 40 nonprofit and community organizations are supported by the Aberdeen Lions Foundation.

Lions Club International Foundation

Lions Club International Foundation is funded by donations from individual clubs. The LCIF directs large sums of money to hurricane/flood/tornado relief and to food and health aid in Third World countries.

Local Lions Clubs honor outstanding members by presenting Melvin Jones Awards (named after the founder) which direct the club to donate $1000 to these international relief efforts. Funds may also return to local communities as in the case of a significant donation that was made to Grays Harbor Habitat for Humanity.

The LCIF made a large Disaster Relief Grant to the Oso Community to assist with disaster relief after the Oso Landslide. Later another Disaster Relief Grant was granted to Okanogan County to provide that area with disaster relief for Fire and Mud Slide damage from the summer fires and rainstorms. And most recently, LCIF has made contributions to the disaster relief after the devastating fire in Lahaina, Maui.

Northwest Lions Foundation

The Northwest Lions Foundation sponsors a Mobile Health Screening Unit that travels throughout the region, offering professional diagnosis of conditions related to health, sight, and hearing.

This unit has provided health screenings at the Grays Harbor County Fair, in the Ocean Shores area, and at the Summit Pacific Health Fair.

Community Involvement

Aberdeen Lions are known locally for initiating and participating in events including the construction of the original “Lions Park Little League Field” and continuing support as sponsors of the Lions Little League team.

The Aberdeen Lions also designed and constructed the seating section of the Driftwood Theater.

As noted above the Aberdeen Lions have been involved in Habitat for Humanity since its beginning in Grays Harbor providing funding for two new homes and having members work on most of the homes built. The Aberdeen Lions celebrate over fifty years of recycling magazines and newspapers as a major fund-raising project. Our new paper drop-off location is across from Duffy’s Restaurant and Jodesha Broadcasting on Simpson Avenue (the yellow-colored building).

HARBOR YOUTH ACTIVITIES are supported by LIONS CLUBS through the Y.M.C.A. Strong Youth Program, after school activities through the SALVATION ARMY, summer camp scholarships to “Camp Leo” and sponsoring an “Aberdeen Lions Little League Team”.

Additional Lions projects include:

Annual Salvation Army “Kettle Klash”
“Relay for Life” team
White Cane Days
Salvation Army Bell Ringing at Christmas
College Scholarships
Bicycles from Heaven
Vision Screening
Toast the Harbor Festival