Grayslake Gives:
Grayslake Lions Club

One act of kindness at a time. Serving the Grayslake community since 1940.

About the Grayslake Lions Club

Meeting the second Tuesday of each month, this group puts much energy and focus into their fundraising efforts, here in the community. This includes their annual pancake breakfast - their largest fundraiser of the year, which raises money for the visually and hearing impaired. This year, the pancake breakfast will take place Sunday, April 28th from 7:30 am - 12 pm at the Grayslake Fire Station 1 on Hawley Street.

The following week, on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th, you’ll see Lions Club members on Center Street in historic downtown Grayslake carrying out their annual Tootsie Pop Day where half of collections go toward the Lions of IL Foundation Mobile Screening Unit which provides free hearing and retinal screenings to communities across Illinois. You’ll even see the unit at their upcoming pancake breakfast to serve community attendees here in Grayslake.

Within the Grayslake community, Grayslake Lions have also carried out fundraising at the Grayslake Farmers Market, enjoyed participation in the annual Memorial Day and Summer Days Parades, hosted their annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, and more. All of these activities support local and global causes.

At many Lions Club events, collections for eyewear donations such as used eyeglasses are common, given their strong focus on helping people with vision impairments. In fact, nearly 100 years ago, in 1925, Helen Keller attended a Lions Club International convention, challenging them to become “knights of the blind in a crusade against darkness”. Since that time, the Lions Club has continued making vision a priority in their fundraising and awareness efforts.

Within the Grayslake community, the Grayslake Lions Club will pay for a free eye exam for D46, D127 and D17 students. Following free in-school screenings when more vision care is needed, the Lions Club will help families by paying for the student to get an eye exam and glasses. Twenty eight students received this benefit during the 2022/2023 school year.

In addition to that, there are also two Grayslake Lions who are puppy raisers in the Leader Dogs for the Blind program, a program dedicated to training dogs to help blind or visually impaired individuals.

The Lions Club’s good deeds don’t stop there. They also donate to disaster relief, locally to PADS, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank in which they designate their donations to the Avon Township Food Pantry in Round Lake, helping support the local community.

Want to learn more?

The Grayslake Lions Club is always looking to expand their membership. If you’re passionate about service within the community, and helping those with visual impairments, the Lions Club welcomes you to learn more. Simply email grayslakelionsclub@gmail.com or visit their website https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/grayslake/.

Scholarship Information

Students interested in learning more about scholarship opportunities through the Grayslake Lions Club are encouraged to speak with their school guidance counselors, who can provide application information. The three college scholarships, named in honor of past members including Lion Ruth Patterson, Lion Jim “Chief” Rockenbach, and Lion Jim Rockwell are awarded annually in the amount of $2,000 each.