Tuam Lions have been helping hands for 40 years

FOR most people, the closest they get to a lion outside a zoo is at Christmas. That’s when Lions Clubs in many towns stage their annual food appeal in conjunction with the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
Lions members and supporters staff collection points at supermarkets where people can donate food and other items, or even cash, which will help needy families at Christmas.
The Food Appeal is such an intrinsic part of Christmas that many people cannot imagine the festive season without it, but when Tuam Lions Club was founded 40 years ago the food appeal was in the future.
You might well ask what is a Lions Club. It is first and foremost a charitable organisation dedicated to doing good in the community in two main ways: raising funds for local charities, and providing services.
When the Tuam Lions were founded in 1979, the only Lions Club in the county was in Galway. When Galway was asked to spread the message out into the county, Tuam was an obvious target.

Read the full feature marking the 40th anniversary of Tuam Lions Club in this week's edition