The Antioch Lions Club Story

The Antioch Lions Club was organized in 1937 to become an outstanding service organization contributing to the civic, cultural, social, recreational and moral welfare of the community. Over the past seven decades it has lived up to its charter.

In 1946 the Antioch Lions Club members volunteered to join the Antioch Rescue Squad. By 1952 funding was raised to build a new Squad Building. In 1972, with the help of numerous Lions members, the Antioch Rescue Squad became the first advanced Life Support Unit, with Paramedics, in the State of Illinois.

In 1954-1955, the Antioch Lions Club sold bonds in the community to raise the money for the Community Swimming Pool. In a few years the bonds were repurchased by the Club and the swimming pool was turned over to the Village of Antioch for $1.00. Also given to the Village of Antioch was the Lions Pavilion at Williams Park. Sizable donations in both time and funding were

made to Centennial Park and the William E. Brook Wild Life Sanctuary and Entertainment Center. The Club’s latest endeavor was the new pavilion at the north end of William’s Park and we will soon begin updates to the original pavilion and the storage building known as the “Standard Oil Building” at the south end of the skate park!

The Antioch Lions Club has provided eye exams and glasses along with hearing aids to Village residents in need and specialized hearing equipment to students at all grade levels. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, food baskets are distributed to those in the community who may not otherwise have a warm home cooked holiday meal.

The Club has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars and man-hours to support countless community and charitable causes such as the annual Candy Day, Diabetes Awareness Day, local flood relief, hurricane relief, Seeing Eye Dogs, and the collection of thousands of pairs of glasses each year, a sizable donation to the Osmond Park Project, a supporter of the Open Arms Mission Food Pantry, Camp Invention, the Antioch Fire Department, the Antioch Police Department and six annual scholarships to ACHS students.

It is the constant and dedicated effort by Club members, their families and the community that have produced these extraordinary results.

Antioch Lionism is truly; PEOPLE CARING FOR PEOPLE.