How do we raise our funds? Over the past 40 years, the Ashland Evening Lions Club has relied on many and varied fund-raising projects such as: Lions Mints sales, Geranium Sales, Lions Candy Day, Poinsettia Sales, Tent Rentals, Rest Area Coffee Breaks, Yesteryear Machinery Show, various raffles, and garage sales.

The Ashland Evening Lions Club supports local and statewide youth related programs, designed to provide our young people with opportunities to serve, and the skills necessary to successfully navigate the challenges faced daily in their lives.

Since 1925, eyesight programs have been a priority with Lions throughout the world. We are committed to totally eliminating curable blindness. In addition to our donations to international programs, the Ashland Evening Lions have a history of working with sight problems in the following areas: Central Ohio Lions Eye-bank, Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation, transporting corneas to OSU Hospital in Columbus, Pilot Dogs Program, eye-related monetary assistance, eye-related transportation of patients, recycling used eye glasses, sight testing of Pre-school children, providing magnification devices to the visually impaired, providing magnification devices to the local library, providing canes to the blind, and raising money to purchase Helper Dogs. We have continued helping those less fortunate, giving back to our community and sharing a special friendship. 

Our first major service project was a Glaucoma clinic started in 1964. We had the help and cooperation of community Doctors, nurses and members of the Noon club. The donation of beds for people to recline while getting their eyes tested for pressure. The clinic over a period of years expanded into blood pressure checking by the Health Clinic, hearing testing and diabetes testing. 

While the primary focus of our services has been eye care, we have also helped in these important areas as well: refinished Kinnaman Park benches, co-fund-raiser to raise over $240,000 to replace the Guy C. Meyers Memorial Band Shell benches, provide and staff the Santa House at Kinnaman Park each Christmas, provide Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets to the needy, adopted a downtown light pole for Christmas, college scholarships sponsor, Special Olympics sponsor, Ohio Lions Band sponsor, provide Disaster Relief money to communities, provide Diabetes supplies, Camp Echoing Hills and Camp NuHop sponsor, YMCA sponsor, and Salvation Army Campers sponsor.

Below are some of the Community Service Projects we have served since 1963:

1. Erected "Welcome to Ashland" signs along State Routs, 42, 250 and 60 in 1970.
2. Manned Salvation Army kettles since 1970
3. Distributed Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter food to the needy.
4. Entered floats in Christmas, Bicentennial and Hall of Fame parades since 1974.
5. Repaired Bleachers at Brookside Park.
6. Helped in conducting hearing tests at County Fair.
7. Painted fences at Brookside Park.
8. Purchased water fountain for Senior Citizen's Center.
9. Co-sponsored Junior High career days.
10. Purchased heart monitor for Emergency Squad in 1978.
11. Transported eyes to and from University Hospital in Columbus.
12. Helped Associated Charities distribute Christmas food and clothing boxes.
13. Purchased special shoes for a lady with a foot deformity.
14. Co-sponsored Safety Town.
15. Assisted County Historical Center in setting up decorations for their Heritage Ball.
16. Sponsored a youth soccer team.
17. Gave financial support to Folks Against Alcohol and Drugs organization.
18. Provided funds for the Quest program at Ashland High School.
19. Provided financial assistance to a young boy and girl needing expensive eye surgery.
20. Assisted Salvation Army in serving meals to the needy.
21. Provided a picnic for Friendly Town children.
22. Assisted in Ashland University TV Auction.
23. Provided a picnic for Friendly Town children.
24. Painted Bleachers at Brookside Park.
25. Erected KIOSK in downtown Ashland.
26. Served as parade marshals for Christmas, Bicentennial and Hall of Fame parades.
27. Conducted a clean-up session at Emmons Field.
28. Purchased safety steps for YMCA pool.
29. Provided youth memberships to YMCA.
30. Assisted with Miss Ashland Pageant.
31. Conducted Glaucoma and Health clinics started in 1964.
32. Provided funds for eye exams, and the purchase of glasses for the needy.
33. In 1990 we started participating in the Adopt-A-Highway Program and conducted highway clean up.
34. Assisted Lioness Club in child immunization and identification clinic.
35. Planted memorial trees at Brookside Park.
36. Placed bench along nature trail at Brookside West.
37. Provided Grant-In-Aid awards to AHS graduates starting in 1970.
38. Gave financial assistance to Samaritan Hospital's "Every Moment Counts" Campaign.
39. Collected pledges for United Way Campaign.
40. Placed large print copies of Reader's Digest in the Public Library, hospital and nursing homes.
41. Sold daffodils for the American Cancer Society.
42. Provided camperships for Mohican Outdoor Camp and Camp Echoing Hills Camp for handicapped.
43. Took residents of the County Home to performance of "Senior Follies" at the Renaissance Theater in Mansfield.
44. Erected flagpole in downtown Ashland Kinnaman Park & refinished the benches.
45. Conducted frog jumping contest at County Fair and downtown events.
46. Conducted games for children at area business and industry picnics.
47. Purchased laundry baskets for county home residents.
48. Promoted and provided equipment and financial assistance for ambulance sent to Guatemala.
49. Sponsored High School students to drug awareness workshops.
50. Operated "Dunk Tank" at downtown events.
51. Spearheaded $200K Fund drive to replace benches at Brookside Park Bandshell in 2003.
52. Built a new Santa House for downtown Ashland.
53. Began Pre-School and Fall School Sight & Hearing Screening in 2004.
54. In 2006 thru LCIF donated $2000 to Katrina Relief and $3000 to Campaign Sightfirst II.
55. Also in 2006 we began participation in the Community Wellness Fair.
56. Participate in I-71 Rest Area Coffee Breaks for motorists.
57. Purchased infra-red imaging camera for the Ashland Fire Department. 

58. In 2007 The Club again participated in the Community Health & Wellness Clinic and continued Sight & Hearing screenings for the Ashland City Schools.

59. In 2008 The Diabetes Awareness Committee cross-zoned with the Ontario Lions in the Juvenile Research Foundation walk-a-thon in September. They also help setup the Holiday Parade in November. The Noonan Funds Special Committee updated the Noonan investments & usage guidelines. The Noonan Use Committee awarded DR Services funds to purchase an electric handicap door. And our Club Newsletter was awarded first place in the District Governor's contest.

As you can see, the Ashland Evening Lions Club has been busy helping people in our community!