Meetings
Members

Welcome to the Fargo Lions Club!

The Fargo Lions Club is North Dakota's first Lions Club. As District Governor Scott Hildre stated, "The Fargo Lions Club brought Lions to North Dakota!" We did this waaay back in 1921. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at Noon at the Radisson Hotel located in downtown Fargo. Individuals interested in being invited to attend a meeting should click on "Contact Us" to the left of this column. OR download this document: About Fargo Lions.

Tara Bujold, Jack Berg, and Whitney Isaccson of Dakota Medical Foundation present a fantastic grant check from the Optometric Foundation of North Dakota to Trent Freier, Fargo Lions Treasurer, for use towards our Vision Assistance Program.

#WeServeAsPartners

(February 2024)

 

 

Fargo Lions visiting the downtown Fargo Fire Hall (9-11-2023)

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The Fargo Lions Club is about service to others ... our motto is 'We Serve'.  During the 2022-2023 school year, we facilitated the screening of over 14,500 area schoolchildren!  Students in the Fargo, Kindred, Casselton, Mapleton, Northern Cass, Trinity, Nativity and Grace Lutheran school systems were screened. On average, we identify 11% that may need glasses. Three other area clubs (Fargo Gateway, Horace Lions, and West Fargo) are also involved in the screenings of our schoolchildren, making this a collaborative effort of area Lions members.

As the 2023-2024 school year rolls along, so too does our vision screening effort. In September 2023, The Fargo Lions Club screened 2,340 students throughout Cass County, resulting in 213 referrals for further eye care. In October we screened 3,197 students with 358 referrals. In November and early December, we screened 3,099 students and tallied 301 referrals for follow-up vision care. Presently, we are vision screening in area preschools. 

Note: Fargo Lions Sue Anderson and Mel Olson coordinate vision screening across Cass County via collaboration with Gateway Lions, Horace Lions, and West Fargo Lions. Altogether, since August of 2023 through February 2024,  Lions screened 14,492 children, referring 1,727 of them for follow up vision care. Wow.

 

Of course, not all families can afford eyeglasses and where other programs are unable to step in with financial support, the Fargo Lions will. We have been purchasing eye exams and eyeglasses for people who might otherwise "fall between the cracks" of social support for decades. This past year, we have been working on setting up a consortium of area Lions Clubs to help fund this need as well as refined the process of receiving assistance with specific area vendors/medical care. The recent changes to this process resulted in dramatically increasing the number of needy people receiving our assistance to 290 individuals in 2022-2023.

Are you in need of assistance with eyeglasses or eye exams? Please contact our Interim Sight Assistance Committee Chair Lion Jane Pettinger at FargoLions1921@gmail.com. 

If you have used eyeglassed to donate, you can drop them off at Bergstrom Eye & Laser Clinic at 2601 South University Drive in Fargo.

Fargo Lions Club members participate in many more service projects throughout the year. Ongoing projects besides vision services include environmental issues, addressing hunger, and supporting families dealing with childhood cancer. We established the Lions Conservancy Park, created the Spirit of the Sandbagger artwork along the river in downtown Fargo, purchased the initial Statue of Liberty now located on the Main Avenue Bridge and established a natural play area at the Red River Zoo. Visit the Club Project page on the left to see a detailed listing of service projects that we participate in.

Welcome to Cody Rittenhouse and Ted  Jirik, our newest members. We have also recently inducted and welcomed Mary Klabo, Dean French, Dustin Anderson, and Tim Pettinger. Sara Bien-Aime, and Andy Nordin were also recently inducted - welcome aboard! We are thrilled that you have all chosen to join the Fargo Lions Club!!

  

Left: Lion Jane Pettinger , new Lion Cody Rittenhouse, and PDG Lion Mel Olson (1-22-2024)

Right: Lion Sue Anderson, new Lion Ted Jirik, and PDG Lion Mel Olson (2-26-2024)

During the summer months we have fun AND raise funds by assisting concertgoers at Bluestem Amphitheater to safely and efficiently park their vehicles. This is a fundraiser for our club and funds are used to assist with vision related needs in our community. Here are a few of us at the final concert of 2023.

  

Lions Clubs International Mission Statement

To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding.

Vision Screenings and Jayden's Story

The Fargo Lions Club provision vision screening for young chidren at daycare facilities and schools around the region. For example, among the thousands of children screened each year was Jayden Severson. Here is his story.

https://youtu.be/HFE8orgx4N4

 

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.

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