For the past decade, I have been honored to be a member of the Mobile Lions Club, a remarkable organization committed to serving our community and making a positive impact. The Mobile Lions Club is the 2nd oldest Lions Club in Alabama and the oldest along the Gulf Coast.
My journey with the Lions Club began in 2013, when a college fraternity brother asked me to present to the club concerning federal transportation projects. Little did I know that this invitation would lead me down a path of discovery and connection to my family’s history.
In speaking with my mother about the opportunity to present to the club, she mentioned my grandfather and great-grandfather were members of their local Lions Club. My grandfather died when I was nine, and in his safety deposit box was his Lions Club lapel pin that I proudly wear to this day.
My late grandfather’s Lions Club lapel pin is a constant reminder of the legacy I carry on, and it has been an inspiration in my service to the club. Over the years, I have served the club in various capacities and had the privilege of becoming President of the Mobile Lions Club in 2022.
One of the highlights of my presidency was organizing the 100th birthday celebration of the Mobile Lions Club, aligning with its founding year, 1922. To commemorate this momentous occasion, we hosted a roaring 1920s fedoras and flappers themed gala. The event drew esteemed members such as former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a dedicated Lions Club supporter who sponsored the first African American member to join our club over four decades ago.
Fundraising has always been a crucial part of our mission, and we host various initiatives throughout the year. In addition to the 100th birthday celebration, we hosted a golf tournament, a 5k race, and a sporting clay event. I had the opportunity to design the current course for the 5k race, appropriately named the Double Tunnel Vision 5k Run, that goes through the Bankhead Tunnel, around Austal USA, then back through the Bankhead Tunnel.
2022 also marked the inaugural year of the Lamar Reeves Sporting Clay event, a project I crafted to expand our fundraising efforts. Its immense success solidified its place as an annual event in our fundraising calendar. The club raised over $25,000 during the year of my presidency, which went towards supporting the local foundation to fund vision care and provide glasses to those in need. In 2023, I was honored to receive the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award from the club in recognition of my leadership.
Throughout the year, the Lions Club conducts free vision screenings at Boys and Girls Clubs, Homeless Connect, and other opportunities to provide care. We volunteer our time to organizations like the Coastal Clean Up, and we donate foundation funding to other areas of need like the Camp Seale-Harris for kids with diabetes and the Berry Strong Foundation funding research for Childhood Cancer.
Through engagement with the Mobile Lions Club over the last decade I have gained personal connections and had the opportunity to serve the community. From the 100th birthday celebration to successful fundraisers and community initiatives, we have strengthened our bond as a club and reinforced our motto: WE SERVE.