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By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
It has been 40 years since Wellesley had an active Lions Club chapter. Bringing the Lions back to town, Ivette Mesmar, incoming charter President for the Wellesley Centennial Lions Club, celebrated with fellow charter members, members of the Holliston Lions Club (their sponsor), and several dignitaries as the newest chapter, the 227th in Massachusetts, became official.
The Lions Club International mission is to make a difference in communities locally and abroad, with over 1.24 million members in 47,808 clubs in over 200 countries around the world. Lions Clubs International is the largest service organization worldwide.
Service work for Lions clubs raises money for programs to prevent blindness, aid youth in need, provide reading programs, clean up the environment, provide diabetes screening, feed the hungry and provide service dogs for veterans or those in need. The Lions clubs in Massachusetts have supported eye research for 58 years, raising 33 million dollars to date, with nearly one million dollars raised and donated each year to research hospitals in Boston for the last twenty years.
State Representative Alice Peisch was on hand to present a citation commemorating the new Lions Club chapter, saying, “I am so happy to see an organization committed to helping needy young children. This is a great step forward for Wellesley. There is an assumption that there are few people in need in a town like Wellesley. This is not the case. Behind the scenes, there are those in need.” This newest chapter of Lions Club will provide support for those in need locally and internationally.
Anyone interested in becoming a member may contact President Ivette Mesmar at [email protected] or (774-245-2472).