Ron Pierson and Tom Ramsay beam with pride when they talk about the Claymont Lions Club. The club is celebrating 75 years this year and these two longtime members want everyone to know what the Lions do. The Claymont Lions, one of 34 clubs in Delaware and 56,000 in the world, boasts 89 members who volunteer their time to give back to the greater Claymont area. A few services include providing free medical equipment like hospital beds to those in need, and helping people receive vision care like screenings and eyeglasses. The club raised $100,000 to build a handicapped accessible playground in Bellevue State Park. It opened in 2007. The Claymont Lions have given back more than $1 million to the community through service activities through the years. “There’s a lot of feeling good in yourself,” says Ramsay, who has been a Lion for 50 years. “It’s a great thing to be doing when you’re retired. You can give even more attention to the club because you have the time.” The Lions cover their $40,000 annual operating budget through dues and hold a number of events to support their services. Popular fundraisers include pancake breakfasts and a Christmas tree sale. “I think it’s amazing that we can get together in freezing temperatures and sell Christmas trees and have a good time and knowing what you’re doing is good,” Pierson says. The key to the Lions’ success, says Pierson, is its members as well as the generous community. “The people of Claymont have made the club what it is,” he says. “Our community support is unbelievable.”
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