Lions Clubs to host state convention

The Lions of Green Valley are hosting a statewide Lions Club convention next week, including a special “expo” event that is open to the public.

This is the first time the Green Valley and La Canoa Lions clubs have been invited to host the two-day meeting, where Lions from Arizona meet to prepare activities and projects for the upcoming year. Several Green Valley Lions attended last year’s event in Globe.

Between 125 and 150 Lions representing more than 100 clubs will be arriving in Green Valley later in the week for the convention, set to be held Friday and Saturday.

The Baymont Inn will serve as event headquarters, though meetings will take place at Valley Presbyterian Church.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, clubs and vendors will set up booths at the church, forming a mini expo to promote their ideas for community fundraising events as well as to inform the public about the history and goals of Lions Club International.

“It would be a great opportunity for other clubs in the area to get ideas for future service projects,” said Green Valley Lions Club

member Bob Venuti.

Between meetings, visiting Lions will have the opportunity to take tours of the Titan Missile Museum and La Posada, and to

play a game of “vision-impaired mini-golf” at Triple Play in Sahuarita.

Players will wear special glasses that distort one’s vision to resemble macular degenaration, cataracts, right eye blind, left

eye blind, near total blindness and retinitis pigmentosis.

It will be both a “fun and informative,” activity, said Venuti, and appropriate for a service organization committed to

helping the blind and visually impaired.

The two Lions Clubs are active in the community, operating the Lewis-Brown Recycling Center near the Joyner-

Green Valley Library and Friday Night Bingo at the East Center to generate funds for their service projects, which include free diabetes testing and collecting and refurbishing used eyeglasses to distribute to those in need.

Information: Call Bob Venuti at 471-7077.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726