Willow Springs Lions Club
Md 1-District 1 A
Illinois United States
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Willow Springs Lions Club History
In 1954, seven, civic and service minded, Willow Springs men, Earl Marshall - Jim Hanlon - Ernest Kaminski - Lenoard Coombes - Dr. T. Benton - Albert Pankow and Myron Gabbert, met with Lion George Belle of the LaGrange Lions Club and Lion Hank Friberg of the Lions of Illinois to sponsor a Lions Club in Willow Springs.
The willow Springs Lions Club, with forty eight members present (four of whom are still active on July 1, 1995) held the organizational meeting on April 27, 1954, in the basement of the Willow Springs School, and selected officers. The Charter President was Ernest C. Kaminski with Henry L. Rieckhoff ? Secretary. The District Governor was Lion Walter Ginther of the Lyons Lions Club.
Meetings were held at the Willow Springs School for the first three months and then the Presbyterian Church, were ladies of the church prepared and served meals. Later meetings were held at Kegl?s until that popular restaurant was sold in 1989. Meetings then were held at various locations while the Club endeavored to locate a satisfactory meeting place. Meetings are currently held at the Willow Crossing (October through May) and the Spring Forest Pavilion (June through September).
Since it was organized, the Willow Springs Lions club has not only been the most active organization in the Village, taking on many local projects, but has always supported the goals, services and other programs of the District, Lions of Illinois, and International Association of Lions Clubs. There has been a Willow Springs Lion on the District Cabinet every year since 1958. Six have served as Zone Chairman, three as Regional Chairman, three as Cabinet Secretary, and two as District Governor (Lion Wilbur A. Woleslaw 1970-1971 and Lion Michael J. Smigielski 1992-1993).
The Willow Springs Lions Club sponsored a ?Hospitality? room at each District 1-A Convention. Also the Willow Springs Lions Club has sponsored three Lions Clubs ? the South Stickney Lions Club, the Bridgeview Lions Club and the Justice Lions Club. In 1985 the Willow Springs Lions Club sponsored the Willow Springs Lioness Club, one of the most active in District 1-A.
Willow Springs Lions Park was the first community project of the Club. In 1955 the Willow Springs Lions Club secured permission from the District 108 School Board to improve the land for use as a ball park and play ground. The Lions Club proceeded to accelerate improvement of the property into what is now Lions Park. In the Club was one of the main sponsors of the 1967 Diamond Jubilee and the 1992 Centennial Celebration of the Village of Willow Springs.
The Willow Springs Lions Club provides humanitarian services throughout the community by furnishing eye examinations, eye glasses, hearing aids, food baskets, as well as other needs of the less fortunate citizens. Local schools have been supported with their summer programs, provided with sight testing equipment, audio-visual equipment, public address systems, outdoor basketball courts, playground equipment, personal computers and drug education programs.
Since 1985, the Lions Quest Program has been made available to the local schools. The D.A.R.E. Program, a drug awareness program for younger children has been sponsored since 1987. These service activities have been made possible by the dedication and work of the members during fund raising events. The Club supports and/or sponsors the following organizations: Scouts ? Little League Baseball Teams ? Senior Citizens ? Drug Camp ? Bicycle Safety ? Scholarships ? and the Leadership Development Program at the University of Illinois.
The Club has purchases the ?Stars & Stripes? and with the cooperation of the Scouts, arranges to have then displayed on the main thoroughfares of the Village on holidays as well as other special occasions.
Members of the Willow Springs Lions Club are true Lions, giving of their time and effort with genuine enthusiasm to live up to the motto: ?WE SERVE?.
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