History

Welcome to the Aurora Lions Club's website. The Aurora Indiana Lions Club was founded in 1947, by Chick Schwing and the Lawrenceburg Lions. Since that time we have been serving Aurora and the surrounding area. Throughout this website you will get to see just what the Lions do. Be sure to check out all the links. We will be updating our site often, to add pictures of ongoing events.

Community Work

You have probably seen the Lions emblems on signposts as you entered Aurora. Or you've seen our gumball machines, or the shelter houses at Lesko Park, Waterways Park, Largent Field, Taylor Field, or at the South Dearborn High School Soccer Fields.

Who are these people called Lions?

Lions are individuals who want to serve their community and their country! We are part of the largest service club in the world. The International Association of Lions Clubs has 1.35 million members in 199 countries around the world. Since the beginning of the Aurora Lions Club in December, 1947, we have taken to heart the Lions motto of "We Serve."

The first project of the club was a Spring Revue in April 1948, which raised money for bleachers at Aurora High School. In the fall of that year, the first set of gumball machines were placed around the city. Major projects have been the Genealogy Room at the Aurora Public Library and an educational Smokehouse for the Aurora Fire Department. We also provided $5,000 in matching funds for the recently acquired police dog in Aurora.

Many Lions projects have gone on to become regular programs that no longer require Lions support. Projects like the Athletic Banquet started in 1949, or the Aurora Little League that we began in 1954, are now free standing programs. In 1959, the Aurora Lions Club assumed sponsorship of the Aurora Farmers Fair, one of Indiana's oldest street festivals. During the past 11 years (July 2002 - July 2013) the Aurora Lions Club has donated $582,704 to local projects that benefit Aurora and South Dearborn Community School Corporation residents. We feel confident that no other organization in the community can match this level of giving.

Other on-going projects are:

• Scholarship Pancake Breakfast in March
• Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
• Halloween Parade & Costume Contest
• Veterans Day Sausage & Gravy Breakfast
• Santa's Workshop, Photos with Santa
• Breakfast with Santa

*We also provide eye exams and glasses for persons in need.

Aurora and Dearborn County programs we support:

• Warm the Children Program
• Dearborn County Clearinghouse
• James B. Wismann Y.E.S. Home
• Relay for Life
• Dearborn County 4-H
• Main Street Aurora
• Boy Scouts of America
• Girl Scouts of America

Outside Aurora we provide support for District, State and International Lions programs:

• Camp Woodsmoke (A Lions supported camp for special needs campers)
• Leader Dog Program
• Eye Glasses recycling
• Indiana Cancer Control
• Diabetes Awareness
• District 25-F Vision Van
• Speech & Hearing Programs
• Drug Awareness Programs

Many of our projects include more than just a gift of money. Programs such as Habitat for Humanity, Miracle on Main, America in Bloom, and the city parks, receive hundreds of man hours of volunteer work as well. As of October 2012, The Aurora Lions have built a total of 14 shelter houses, 12 for the Aurora area, and a shelter at Camp Woodsmoke another Lions project.

Since our founding in 1947, the Lions motto of "WE SERVE" has been an integral part of our being. We aren't in the newspaper every week but we are out working to help make our community a better place to live.