Staff writer

"There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer." That is a line from the movie Pearl Harbor. One form of volunteering is through local civic clubs and organizations.

We obtained a list of 34 clubs and organizations from the G.C. Chamber of Commerce. We will feature one club or organization each week. This week we learn about the Leitchfield Lions Club.

The Leitchfield Lions Club was chartered in 1955 with Joe G. Rogers as the organization's first president. The Lions Club is an international group originally founded in 1917 in Chicago, Illinois. The Lions slogan is "Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation's Safety" making up the LIONS name.

The Lions Club International is involved in many different services. One service is providing eyeglasses to needy people in third world countries. Donated glasses are accepted in every club across the U.S. This year the Lions Club gathered more than 200 pair of glasses. The International group also has a disaster relief fund that may be applied for by the local chapter.

Locally the Lions Club has made many donations in Grayson County. The Little League Field behind Wilkey Elementary was funded by the Lions Club.

They have also put money into the city swimming pool, the pavilion at the park, the new Centre on Main, sidewalks and they offer a scholarship fund named for the late Johnathon McKinney. McKinney's father and grandfather are members of the local Lions Club.

The Lions Club hosts a magic show every year for the children in the county. They have a booth at the county fair each year to raise funds. All money raised by the Lions Club goes back into the community.

Current President of the Lions Club, Paul Witten says, "It's a group of people that want to serve the community." Members represent many respectable businesses in town. Meetings are on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at Golden Corral.

For more information about the Lions Club call Paul Witten at 259-5557 or email him at PWitten@hotmail.com or check out the Lions Club International website at www.lionsclub.org.