Author Archive

Hellen Keller’s Speech at 1925 Lions Club Convention

Posted on February 20, 2025Comments are off

On June 30, 1925, this bold advocate for the blind challenged Lions Clubs International to be “knights of the blind”…a challenge that has motivated Lions for 100 years to provide vision service programs. Reenactment of Hellen Keller speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EurAXgbcai (Helen Keller clip starts at 4:40 mark in this 5 min video)

Hellen Keller

Fairfax Lions Sponsor Red Cross Blood Drive

Posted on February 17, 2025Comments are off

The American Red Cross is in urgent need of blood products. Severe winter weather and wildfires have forced thousands of blood donations to go uncollected. We need donors, like you, to sustain this lifesaving care.

Fairfax Lions Club is sponsoring a Red Cross blood drive on March 12, 2025. Join us to give your precious and needed gift of blood!  Sign up now for an appointment at the Red Cross web site provided.  

When/where: March 12, 1pm-6pm; Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031

To Signup, on this web page, enter sponsor code: FAIRFAXLIONSVA https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time?zipSponsor=FAIRFAXLIONSVA

VA Lions Youth Music Competition

Posted on February 16, 2025Comments are off

On Feb 16, FX lions held their Club-level youth music competition. Winners advance on April 13 to the District-level Lions competition, and then on May 2 to VA Lions state finals where 12 scholarships will be awarded totaling $18000. We encourage musically inclined youth in northern VA to consider next year’s competition; send us info@fairfaxlions.org a note of your interest so we can email you information.

We congratulate all contestants on their talent and accomplishments: (L-R in photo)

  • Sela Eugenia Rongero, 16, 11th grader at Lake Braddock Secondary School;
  • Jude Lawrence Bruce, 12, 7th grader at Trinity Christian School;
  • Wroten McQuirter, 14, 9th grader at Thomas Jefferson High School;
  • Alexander Moon, 12, 7th grader at Thoreau Middle School;
  • Erik Daniel Lindgren, 17, 12th grader at Charles Colgan School;
  • Connor Kim, 13, 8th grader at Liberty Middle School;
  • James Josep Abiden, 14, 9th grader at Trinity Christian School;
  • Joshua Min Gwon, 16, 10th grader at Woodson High School

Today’s winners: 1st place vocalist, James J Abiden, Tenor.  Composition:  Out There by Alan Menken.

1st place instrumentalist: Connor Kim, Piano.  Composition:  Schertzo No. 3 in B Flat Minor Opus 31 by Chopin.)

2nd place instrumentalist: Alexander Moon, Violin.  Composition:  Concert in D Minor, 1st Movement by Jean Sibeliusby.


Honorable Mention instrumentalist: Wroten McQuirter, Piano. Etude in A minor by Chopin.


Fairfax Lions Perform Vision & Hearing Screening Service

Posted on February 14, 2025Comments are off

Fairfax Lions successfully completed another vision and hearing screening outreach event at St. Luke Catholic School in McLean on Feb 13.  A total of 15 third graders and 15 seventh graders were screened.  Four students were referred to a professional optometrist and three students were referred to a professional audiologist. 

(L to R):  two parent volunteers, School Nurse Mary Foley; Lions Diana Amsbaugh, Marty Lockard, Joe Rovansek, and Maggie Reidy.  

INOVA Lions Eye Clinic

Posted on January 25, 2025Comments are off

For over 50 years, Lions clubs have supported the partnership of INOVA hospital and the Lions Eye Clinic – Northern Virginia’s only free clinic offering advanced eye care and surgery to uninsured adults. It is a vital community resource, providing essential medical and surgical eye care to those with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. Eye Clinic web page: https://www.inova.org/locations/inova-lions-eye-clinic

The Clinic’s mission is to provide basic eye care to people who could not afford care, and the clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. It provides services for indigent individuals only. Family assistance workers in the Fairfax County Health Department determine an individual’s indigent status. Individuals, who have no medical insurance coverage, meet certain income standards based on the number of dependents, and are classified as coming under the Income “A” category may qualify as indigent. Referrals to the Clinic are made by the Fairfax County Health Department, Arlington County Health Department, Arlington Free Clinic, Baileys Crossroads Health Clinic, Alexandria Casey Clinic, South County Health Clinic, and doctors. 

At the Fairfax Lions Club meeting on January 21st, representatives of the the INOVA Lions Eye Clinic talked about recent renovations in the Clinic, and the wonderful record of serving people in our community.

Katie Coyle and Sylvania Nakasone Speak to Fairfax Lions

Fairfax Lions Honor 2025 Best Peace Poster

Posted on January 22, 2025Comments are off

For 37 years, Lions Clubs around the world have encouraged youth (age 11-13) to create art posters reflecting peace.  Those children everywhere have the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity. For 2025, over 600,000 peace posters were created.

This year’s Peace Poster contest theme was “Peace without Limits.” Congratulations to Aasini Kumar, of Rocky Run Middle School, for winning the Fairfax Lions Club Peace Poster Contest and cash awards. In addition, Aasini’s poster will be featured in this year’s program on March 13th for Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County

Aasini Kumar with family and Lion Jeff Root
Aasini holds her winning Peace Poster

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