The Cookeville Evening Lions Club was established in April 1922.  In the beginning our club provided many of the services that the Chamber of Commerce now provide.  In 1925, Helen Keller spoke at the International Lions Convention where she charged the members to become "Knights of the Blind." Since then, our primary mission is to help prevent blindness.

Our accomplishments over the last 5 years include:

1. Almost $40,000 to help the needy in the community received eye exams and glasses.
2. Recycled over 15,000 eyeglasses to be used in overseas humanitarian work
3. Over $8,000 to our district White Cane funds.  These monies support our Eye Bank (where needy patients can receive cataract surgery for free), Leader Dogs for the Blind (helping visually impaired live independently with the assistance of a guide dog), Ally Learning (helping visually impaired students and adults receive audio textbooks), Tennessee School for the Blind, and Tennessee School for the Deaf
4. Screening almost 9,000 children under the age of six for preventable eye diseases. 
5. Financially supporting the Lions Quest program that empowers and supports educators throughout Tennessee to nurture caring and responsibility in young people.   
6. Starting and supporting a Leo Club at Cookeville High School and a Campus Lions Club at TTU.  These clubs allow students to get involved in community activities that benefit their school, community, and their personal growth.
7. In recognition of the importance of producing quality eye professionals, established an endowed scholarship at TTU to assist pre-professional students interested in entering the optometry field.
8. Financially supported Cookeville Children’s Museum, Red Cross, American Legion Boys State, the Cookeville Kidney Walk, and other community programs.

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Lions are an international network of 1.3 million men and women in 205 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.