Braidwood Lions Club

Who we are

Our club is made up of ordinary citizens who share one common goal, community service. Our members take pride in their efforts to provide humanitarian services for the visual and hearing impaired. The Lions motto "We Serve" holds a special place in the daily lives and activities of each and every member. Our members make every effort and seize every opportunity to perform random acts of kindness and service within their communities each and every day. Lions members perform numerous hours of community service every year and receive no monetary compensation. The best form of payment our members receive is seeing the final product of a job well done and knowing that they have helped to make their community a better place. Our club meets on the fourth Thursday of every month at the Old Smokey City Park administration building starting at 7:00pm. The Lions Club is the largest service organization in the world with millions of citizens from all over the globe, all races, all walks of life sharing in one common goal.

How To Join

Club members must possess a special quality, a willingness to serve their community. Interested citizens can contact our club's Secretary Josh Bolatto at (815)791-8093 for a membership application and more details.

Services That We Provide

Our club provides the following services to residents in need who reside within the Braidwood, Godley & Shadow Lakes communities.

- Eye exams

- Eyeglasses

- Hearing exams

- Hearing Aids

Services which we DO NOT provide include, but are not limited to:

- Assistance with rent or mortgage payments

- Assistance with utility payments

- Assistance with medical bills

Sight and Sound

The Lions Club's main focus is helping those who have visual and hearing impairments. Our club assists low income residents in need with obtaining eye glasses and hearing aids. Each year dozens of school children from the Braidwood, Godley and Shadow Lakes community are given the gift of visual accuracy in order to receive the most out of their school education. For more information on receiving assistance with eye glasses and hearing aids please call Sight & Sound Chairman Lion Gary Bumgardner at (815)458-6548.

Used Eye Glass and Hearing Aid Collection

We have several collection boxes located around the community for donations of used eye glasses and hearing aids. We also have donation boxes at our various community activities throughout the year including Summerfest, garage sale days and broom sales. The eye glasses and hearing aids which are collected get sent to a centralized processing center owned by the Lions International Foundation. The glasses and hearing aids are refurbished and reused for the less fortunate.

Community Involvement Activities

Every year, our Club sponsors, coordinates or participates in numerous community involvement activities around the area. Activities, dates and times can be found on the calendar of events page. Here are just some of the annual events which take place each year.

Halloween Hot Dog Giveaway: Halloween night during Trick-or-Treat hours. Free hot dogs, chips, lemonade, hot chocolate, popcorn and more. Hay rack rides, kids games, music, free outdoor movie and more.

Rt. 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival: Every year on the first full weekend in May, residents and visitors are invited to take a trip down the "Mother Road" of historic Rt. 66. Communities along the run from Joliet to Towanda Illinois host activities ranging from flea markets, block parties, garage sales and other fun filled activities. Our club participates in the flea market which is located next to Polk-A-Dot Drive In (222 N. Front St.) in Braidwood. We hold our annual spring broom sale fundraiser and used eye glass/hearing aid collection.

Click here to visit the Rt. 66 Red Carpet Corridor official web site.

Garage Sale Days: On the second Friday & Saturday in June the our club participate in the annual all town garage sale days, sponsored by the Braidwood Fire Sirens. Our members & volunteers set up a booth on the lawn at the First Presbyterian Church(corner of Main & Lincoln St.) to sell brooms, collect eye glasses and hearing aids and to promote our various community activities.

National Night Out: On the first Tuesday in August, our club member & volunteers participate in the Braidwood Police Department's annual National Night Out event which is held in the Braidwood City Park. Our volunteers provide free popcorn and lemonade during the event.

Food Pantry Volunteering: Several of our club members volunteer at the Braidwood Community Care Center food pantry. Members stock shelves and freezers, unload deliveries, load vehicles and carry out boxes for the clients of the food pantry. The food pantry is located at 112 S. Center Street (behind the Braidwood Police Department/City Hall).

How donations and funds are used

Each year, our club sponsors and participates in numerous community involvement activities around the town. Events ranging from spring fundraising booths, flea markets, festivals and garage sales are just a few of the fundraising activities which our club participates in. Throughout the year, our club provides several activities in which the young and young at heart can participate in. Free outdoor movies in the Braidwood City Park, a hot dog give-a-way at Halloween, children's Easter egg hunt and many others are sponsored by our club. The main focus of our clubs efforts or "Lionism" is to provide humanitarian services and assistance to those who have visual or hearing impairments. Each year, our club assists dozens of school aged children and senior citizens in the community with obtaining eye glasses and hearing aids.

Our club members understand the importance of a child's education and by recognizing so, we make every effort to expedite the process of obtaining the gift of visual acuity. Children are usually referred to our club by their school's Principal or the school nurse. After obtaining the information, our club's Sight & Sound Chairperson works together with the Braidwood Vision Center to set up an appointment for an eye exam. After completion of the exam, the Doctor will then place an order for the lenses and frames for the child. Our members take pride in knowing that they are able to give the gift of sight and sound to those who need it most.