100 Years of Roaring: Celebrating our Legacy

The Ephrata Lions Club will be celebrating our 100th anniversary on Saturday, March 22.

Our anniversary celebration will be held on Saturday, March 22, at the American Legion Cloister Post 429, 300 Cocalico Street, Ephrata. Doors will open at 5:00 pm, with cash bar and hors d'oeuvres available. Program will begin promptly at 6:00 pm. Dinner tickets are $50 per person, with your choice of stuffed chicken, petite filet mignon or a gluten-free/vegetarian meal.

Download and complete one of the reservation forms (below) with payment by February 28.

* Click here for the form for 1 or 2 names.

* Click here for the form for up to 8 names.

Ephrata (Pennsylvania) Lions Club

The Ephrata Lions Club meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at American Legion Post 429 (300 Cocalico Street, Ephrata), with some exceptions. The dinner-meeting starts at 6:00 p.m., with presentations and Club business meeting follows the meal. Check our club information page for meeting details, or contact a club member to confirm meeting dates and locations. The Club is always seeking new members who are interested in community service. Interested people -- including non-members and visiting Lions -- are always welcome to attend our meetings.

Our beneficiaries include the following: PA Lions Beacon Lodge Camp, Bridge of Hope, Ephrata Area Social Services, Ephrata Baseball Association, Ephrata Community Ambulance, Ephrata Education Association, Ephrata H.S. coed rifle team, Ephrata H.S. Leo Club, Ephrata H.S. senior service award, Ephrata Pioneer Fire Company, Ephrata Public Library, Ephrata Recreation Center, Ephrata TIdal Waves swim team, Ephrata Youth Football, Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley, Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, Leader Dogs for the Blind, Lebanon County Sight Conservation Committee, Leo's Helping Paws, Lincoln Fire Company, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Lions of PA Foundation, Middle Creek Search & Rescue, Mountaineers Table, PA Lions Hearing Research Foundation, TeenHope, and VisionCorps.

Our activities include the following: bingo, community Easter egg hunt, eyeglass and hearing aid collection and recycling, eyeglasses for needy families, food drives, Adopt-A-Highway clean-ups, library book sales, Police appreciation picnic, sports card show and auction, Toyland at community Christmas tree lighting, veterans expo, and White Cane fund collection.

Veterans Expo on Sunday, November 10

Our 2nd annual veterans expo was held at the American Legion ballroom on Sunday, November 10 from 11AM to 3PM. Crafters/nonprofits/others interested in taking part next year can contact us at vetexpo@ephratalions.org.

Donations of Eyeglasses and Hearing Aids

Our large collection "mailbox" has been relocated to Redner's Warehouse Market, 423 North Reading Road, in Ephrata Commons. It is left of the main entrance. (We also accept used, working cellphones in the "mailbox".)

We collect and recycle eyeglasses and hearing aids. Collection boxes are located at the locations listed below. (We do not accept or lend out any other medical equipment.)

• Ephrata Family EyeCare, 101 East Main Street
• Ephrata Public Library
• Eyeland, Cloister Shopping Center
• Dr. John J. Flaim O.D., 1521 West Main Street
• Dr. Dennis A. Reddig O.D., 32 Hummer Road

We also collect money for eye research at several local businesses, including the following: 3 Sisters Chicken, Charlie's Fuel & Deli, Dairy Queen, Ephrata Plaza Diner, Gus's Keystone Family Restaurant, the New Cloister Restaurant, and the Pancake Farm.

Community Donations

The Ephrata Lions Club held their annual Contribution Night on June 6, 2024 at the Ephrata American Legion. The Ephrata Lions contributed over $20,000 to the following organizations: Ephrata Area Social Services, Ephrata Ambulance Association, Ephrata Baseball Association, Ephrata Pioneer Fire Co., Ephrata Public Library, Ephrata Rec Center, Ephrata Youth Football, Lincoln Fire Co., and Mountaineer's Table at ECOB. These contributions were made possible due to the fundraising efforts to support the Ephrata community with our Sports Card Show and the Spring Bingo Night. In addition to these contributions, the Ephrata Lions Club continues to support other area organizations and sight impaired programs. Our motto: "WE SERVE" continues as we approach our 100th anniversary in 2025.

Pictured above, left to right: Ryan Ellis, Casey Ellis, Walt Bair, Stephanie Weber, Les Martzall, Jean Wentz, Jeremy Dropnity, and Abigail Balmer.

Community Support

The Ephrata Lions Club has partnered with Good’s Store to donate $100 gift cards to the 12 families that were displaced from the tragic fire on East Main Street in August. The Leos Club (students of the Ephrata school district) is also working with EASS to supply displaced students with clothing and other needs. Pictured: Rosa Beiler, Cashier Manager at Good’s Store and Steve Montpetit, Ephrata Lions Club President.

Ephrata Fair Bingo

Article courtesy of the Ephrata Review

Disaster Aid Packages

Floods and fires across the nation have displaced a large number of Americans. They often end up at shelters with only the clothes on their back. To help care for them, Lions Clubs across the US have been gathering and assembling personal-care packages.

As part of this on-going service project, the Ephrata Lions recently put together packages for 300 individuals in need. The kits include: Toothpaste, Tooth brushes, Mouthwash, Dental Floss, Deodorants  Hand sanitizer, Mini first aid kits, Shampoo, Conditioner  Lotion, Soap Bars or Shower Gel, and Feminine Hygiene Products.

Disaster Aid is an on-going service project of the Ephrata Lions.

Honoring Ephrata Police

The Ephrata Lions held their Annual Summer Picnic in the Ephrata Township Park pavilion. The picnic was catered by Mission BBQ. As they have done every summer in recent years, the Lions invited the Ephrata Police to join them. It is always the Ephrata Lions' pleasure to show appreciation to our local police by having them join us for our Summer Picnic.  Through the years the Lions Club has enjoyed meeting and greeting them, and thanking them for the protection that they give our community.  It is a small token of appreciation to the men and women in blue. The Ephrata Lions Club supports our police and they in turn, are appreciative of our invitation.

Club History and Other Information

The Ephrata Lions Club was chartered on Feb 26, 1925. The Ephrata area, as well as our state, nation, and all corners of the world have since benefited from the individual and combined efforts of the club members. The club has certainly taken the Lions' motto “We Serve” to heart. After ninety-four years of community service, our club is justly proud to be one of more than 47,000 clubs in over 200 countries, in an organization with more than 1.4 million members.

Our Board of Directors meetings are usually held immediately following the 2nd monthly Club meeting (the 3rd Thursday).

Typical exceptions to the normal meeting schedule include the following:

• January of even-numbered years (2024): one meeting is usually moved to the 2nd Tuesday to meet with the Akron Lions Club.
• April: one meeting is typically moved to the Friday when the District 14D Presidents' Honor Night is scheduled. Holy week may also impact the scheduling.
  
• July: our only meeting is a special event. (There is usually no board meeting in July.)
  
• August: our only meeting is our family picnic at the Ephrata Township Park on the 3rd Thursday, where we also honor our Police department.
• October: usually one meeting is held at the District 14D Region III Rally.
• December: our 2nd meeting is a family party, where reservations are required.

There may be additional exceptions to our meeting schedule due to holidays, special activities, visitations, etc. Please check our club information page or the club meeting box (to the right), or contact a Club Officer or any Club Member to verify meeting dates and locations.

Other Notes

Interested in knowing more about the Club or in becoming a member? Contact any Club officer or member, or contact us at one of the addresses below.

Guests, new members, and donations are always welcome.

The Club is collecting eyeglasses, hearing aids, and inactive cell phones at our yellow "mailbox" at Redner's Warehouse Market, 423 North Reading Road, in Ephrata Commons.

Donate to the Ephrata Lions Club

In addition to our fundraisers, we also accept online donations to the Ephrata Lions Club, so we can support other community organizations and people in need in the Ephrata Area.

You can also send us donations via PayPal (treasurer@ephratalions.org or "International Association of Lions Ephrata" or Venmo (treasurer@ephratalions.org or @EphrataLions or "Ephrata Lions Club").

Contact Us

Email us at info@ephratalions.org.

Follow us on Facebook at "Ephrata Lions Club" (@ephratalionsclub)

Our mailing address is:

Download our membership application.