Lions Clubs International, also called the International Association of Lions Clubs, ranks as the world’s largest service club organization. It has about 45,000 clubs and approximately 11/3 million club members in more than 200 countries and territories. Lions Clubs are associations of business and professional men and women who seek to recognize and meet the needs of their communities. Club activities include sight conservation and work for the blind; drug awareness; diabetes education and research; hearing conservation and work for the deaf; citizenship, educational, health, and social services; and work for international cooperation and understanding, including international youth camp and youth exchange programs. Some Lions Clubs sponsor Leo Clubs for young adults. The Lions Clubs International Foundation raises funds to aid disaster victims and provides vocational training for disabled people and the poor.
The association was founded in Chicago in 1917. It publishes The Lion Magazine in English and a number of other languages. The organization holds an international convention each year. It has headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois.
