Kane County officials took a little time during Tuesday’s board meeting to thank the Elburn Lions Club for 85 years of service to the community.

Board member Drew Frasz, who chaired the meeting in the absence of County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen, and County Board member Melisa Taylor led the brief ceremony prior to passage of a resolution that recognizes the organization as the second-largest in the state of Illinois and the 70th-largest club in the world.

All of which is pretty amazing for a town with a population of a little more than 5,000.

The club has 185 members, men and women from the age of 18 to 98, it maintains a popular 26-acre park in Elburn and funds countless community projects.

“The village of Elburn would not be the village of Elburn without the Lions Club,” said Elburn Village President David L. Anderson, who took part in the presentation. Anderson noted that Elburn Days is coming up Friday through Sunday, Aug. 15-17, an event put together by the Lions Club in each of the past 85 years.

“This weekend is our big weekend, the parade is Friday night,” he said. “This is THE local piece of Americana.”

RESOLUTION NO. 14-230

RECOGNIZING THE 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELBURN LION’S CLUB

WHEREAS, this year the Elbum Lions Club is celebrating its 85th year of service to Kane County and to the surrounding area including DuPage, DeKaIb, and part of McHenry counties; and

WHEREAS, the Elburn Lions Club has grown to become the largest Lions Club Organization in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, services of the Elburn Lions Club to Kane County and surrounding area residents include providing service dogs to youngsters in the Kaneland School District at a typical cost of $15,000 each, equipping and maintain a popular 26-acre park in Elburn including the recent installation of $15,000 worth of new playground equipment, and $10,000 donated to Gifford, IL following the severe tornado damage to that village last fall; and

WHEREAS, the International President of Lion’s Club International will visit the Elburn Lions Club on August 9, 2014, to commemorate the occasion of their 85th Anniversary; and

WHEREAS, the County of Kane wishes to express its appreciation for the many services of the Elburn Lions Club over the past 85 years and to congratulate this volunteer group on this milestone anniversary.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Kane County Board that congratulations and best wishes be extended to the leadership and volunteers of the Elburn Lions Club along with our sincere thank you.

Passed by the Kane County Board on August 12, 2014.

About the Elburn Lions Club

SOURCE: www.elburnlions.com/

The Elburn Lions Club was chartered by Lions Clubs International on Sept. 14, 1929. The initial club had 15 members and was sponsored by the Lions Club of New Lenox. The motto of Lions Clubs International is “We Serve” and the Elburn Lions Club has excelled in this endeavor by serving many families in need in our local community, around the nation and even internationally.

Today the Elburn Lions Club maintains a membership of approximately two hundred members and a 25-acre park with a club house, playground, baseball and softball fields, and open pavilion. Our park is located in the heart of the village of Elburn and is used by our community throughout the year for community functions. On any given weekend you can smell the Elburn Lions famous pork chops and chicken cooking at the park as we host company picnics, wedding receptions, class reunions, and many other events throughout the year.

Our biggest annual event of the year, Elburn Days, is celebrated on the third weekend in August starting with a ‘Main Street’ parade on Friday evening and also a carnival and entertainment throughout the weekend.  This widely attended event is a favorite in the area and is a chance for the community, past and present, to reconnect to their Elburn and Kaneland area roots.

You can always find the members of the Elburn Lions Club working hard to help others, living up to our club motto “We Serve.”