When caring people come together, roll up their sleeves, and take action to make their community better, it’s a beautiful thing and an incredible feeling for everyone involved. That’s what the Plant City Lions do. “Being a Lion is about leading by example, building relationships and improving the community where we live,” said Evelyn Cook, President of the Plant City Lions Club.
Chicago business leader Melvin Jones asked a simple and world-changing question, “What if people put their talents to work improving their communities?” Almost 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with more than 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs and countless stories of Lions acting on the same simple idea: let’s improve our communities.
The Plant City Lions Club held their Blind Dinner on Sept. 19. “The Plant City Lions Club Blind Dinner is in its second year as one of our fundraisers,” Cook said. “The club wanted to create an event that would not only be fun and interactive but also show what Lions are all about. The Blind Dinner is a public event where guests are blindfolded while having dinner. There are lots of other fun and interactive things to try for a fun experience.”
The main reason for the Blind Dinner is to spotlight one of the many causes The Plant City Lions Club supports, which is to eradicate blindness.
In 1925 Helen Keller spoke at the 9th Lions International convention and called for all Lions to become Knights of the Blind. Taking that to heart, Lions Clubs across the country started many programs for the vision impaired. The Plant City Lions Club was founded in 1929, and they have been growing strong while keeping this driving principle true today. “This is our second Blind Dinner and we are happy that this event has gotten bigger since last year,” Cook said. “The more people that join us every year, the more awareness we can raise about what we do as a Lions Club to eradicate blindness.”
During the blind dinner, guests are greeted at the door and given a blindfold to wear. They are then escorted into the dining room by a caregiver. Once seated, guests are encouraged to feel around the table for various objects to touch and smell. Afterwards, they are shown by their caregiver where their drinks and utensils are as they begin to eat their spaghetti dinner. “It was excitingly overwhelming,” said Tammy Surratt, a guest at the recent Blind Dinner.
The Plant City Lions Club was pleased to see so many community members attend this year’s event. “We are thrilled to see so many people from our community come out and show their support for us and all we do,” Cook said.
The Plant City Lions Club is always looking for new members. “Being a Lion means knowing that kindness matters,” said Lisa Nickel, a member of the Plant City Lions Club. “If you’re interested in making a difference in the community, then becoming a member of the Plant City Lions Club is right for you.”
If you would like to learn more about the Plant City Lions Club or if you are interested in becoming a member of the club, you can visit their website at www.plantcitylions.org. or email the club at plantcitylions@gmail.com. The Plant City Lions Club meets every Tuesday from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. at The Mount Zion Assembly of God Church located at 3005 Thonotosassa Rd. in Plant City.