Our Story
In 1950, the Cooperstown Lions club was founded. For 70 years, we have been helping to serve the needs of Cooperstown and the surrounding communities. Through fundraising projects that range from our involvement in Winter Carnival, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, to local vision screenings for young students, to our support of local youth organizations and sponsorship for college scholarships, to shaping the next generation through the Leo Club, to our continuous pursuit of finding where we are most needed, we strive to make our community a better place for everyone.
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Our club embodies the words of Lee H. Hamilton; “Public service is a stimulating, proud and lively enterprise. It is not just a way of life, it is a way to live fully” – this is a group of people who come together with a like-minded pursuit to live fully in service.
Lions Service Areas
Diabetes
Diabetes is the signature cause of Lions and Leos around the world. This year, in partnership with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) we’re on a mission to make our mark by screening 1 million people for type 2 diabetes. We have offered screenings in conjunction with Bassett Healthcare Network and the Cooperstown Fire Department at the Cooperstown Winter Carnival in 2020
Vision
Ever since Helen Keller inspired us to champion the cause in 1925, we’ve served and advocated for the blind and visually impaired. Nearly a century later, this long-standing mission continues unhindered. We offer vision screening at schools all over Otsego County as well as providing assistance for purchasing eyeglasses to those in need.
Hunger
We serve to improve human flourishing. We see how the global hunger and nutrition crisis bears upon our local communities, and believe true community improvement depends on the thriving of its members. Our club has a program that matches the SNAP benefits for use with our local Farmer's Market vendors.
Enviroment
The earth sustains human life. We’ve seen how our stewardship of natural resources can improve quality of life and increase engagement in our local communities. Our environment is more than a background: it’s our home. And we’re committed to caring for it. We partner with other local clubs to do an annual cleanup of a stretch of the Susquehanna River, and participate in Adopt-A-Highway.
