Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club - History

The Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club serves the communities of Sunland, Tujunga, Shadow Hills and Lake View Terrace in Los Angeles County, California.

The Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club was chartered on December 15, 1949, succeeding the Verdugo Hills Lions Club. It was sponsored by the Burbank Host Lions Club. The thirty-one charter members, under the leadership of Clarence Bishop, were eager to begin to live out the Lions motto, We Serve.

The first project the club undertook was sponsorship of the March of Dimes parade in January 1950, raising $4800 to fight polio. It also collected $267 for the annual cancer drive. With money raised from a square dance and a bowling tournament, the club sponsored a student in the Annual Student Speakers Contest and a boys' softball team in the local league.

In 1962 the Sunland-Tujunga Lions adopted red blazers as their "uniforms." Now they may be seen in their red shirts or their red athletic jackets as well.

The service projects of the Sunland-Tujunga Lions Club have changed as the needs of the community have changed. Through the years, the club has worked with local schools, giving scholarships, purchasing band uniforms and a Hammond organ for the high school, and sponsoring essay contests. Sports activities for youth, the Scouts and the YMCA have received funding by the Lions.

For many years the Lions have sponsored the student speaker contest for high school students, and the international Youth Exchange Program in the summer.

Residents with emergency needs have often been helped financially or with volunteer labor.

Known as "Knights of the Blind" throughout the world, Lions focus much of their service on sight conservation projects and in aid to those who can no longer see. The S-T Lions have paid for eye surgeries, provided transportation for blind people, furnished seeing eye dogs, low vision aids and white canes, sponsored vision and glaucoma screening clinics, supported the Southern California Lions Eye Institute, provided vision exams and glasses for the needy, recycled eyeglasses for use in developing countries, donated money to groups helping the blind and visually impaired, and conducted white cane drives to raise funds for sight conservation.

In 2001, under the leadership of the S-T Lions, the Lions Optometric Vision Clinic was opened at MEND, a poverty center in Pacoima.

The Lions collected clothing and blankets for the Indians and for people suffering from disasters; provided Christmas and Thanksgiving baskets for those in need, and supported the S-T Temporary Aid Center. Those with hearing loss, and persons with other handicaps have been aided by the Lions.

The first Watermelon Festival was held in 1961, and continues to be the primary way the club raises money for its philanthropic and service work. Since its beginning, ice cold watermelon is served free of charge at the Festival. A queen contest is held each year, with the candidate selling the most raffle tickets winning the crown.