This January, the Holt Lions will celebrate 52 years of service to our community.
Throughout decades of community-focused events, fundraisers, and charity drives, what resonates most with members like Ray Robins is how the work of Lions impacts individuals in the community. He recalled how a woman approached the Lions during their annual White Cane Collection and made a generous donation, noting how she had received free eyeglasses from the organization as a young girl.
“You get a great feeling when you help someone like that,” Ray, the Holt Lions Membership Chairperson, said. “It’s very rewarding and we’re always happy to know that people recognize our value and turn around and are paying it back.”
The Holt Lions chapter first began in 1968, founded by Stuart Goodrich, a longtime Delhi Township resident and community servant. Alongside a dedicated team of volunteers, the organization has sponsored community-focused initiatives that support Holt residents of all ages. As a part of the world’s largest service organization, the Lions Club International, the Holt Lions have several core goals and initiatives that align with their parent organization. The biggest of these is vision. For decades, the Holt Lions have sponsored eyeglass donation events, where used eyeglasses are collected, repaired, and shipped overseas. The Holt Lions have sponsored five eyeglass missions to Latvia, where a group of volunteers and eye care professionals provide free services to those in need in the former Soviet-occupied country.
Here at home, the Holt Lions have sponsored guide dogs for the blind as well as covered vision care services for Holt residents with no insurance.
The work of the Holt Lions isn’t limited to just vision-focused services. They also sponsor Holt Community Kids Day, Halloween in the Park, Touch-a-Truck, and other family friendly events. One of their most beloved events is an annual sports night, where Holt High School coaches invite one senior student to a special dinner and brag about their accomplishments. These students — often the unsung heroes of their teams — are presented with a certificate and a small medal. Dr. David Hornak, Holt Public Schools Superintendent, has called the event “the greatest compliment a coach can pay their student.”
Though many of their usual activities have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Holt Lions continue to meet via Zoom on the first and third Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. You can contact Ray if you’re interested in receiving an invitation to these virtual gatherings. Once local health guidelines allow, the Holt Lions will resume these gatherings at their long-time meeting place — the Delhi Café.
Until then, the Holt Lions will continue to support initiatives that benefit the Holt community. In the words of Ray: “Everyone around working together to make Holt feel safe
and comfortable.”
To learn more about the Holt Lions, contact Ray Robins, Membership Chairperson, at rayrobins@sbcglobal.net. You can also learn more about the organization by visiting Holtlionsclub.org.