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The Yucaipa Valley Lions Club was chartered in 1954 with 50 members and immediately made itself
known to the community by sponsoring the Yucaipa Valley Christmas Parade, a tradition that continues to this day.
 The Christmas parade is our clubs biggest project and is looked forward to by everyone in the
community. In the early years the parade was paid for by selling ads in our parade program. This continued for many years
until waning funds almost cancelled our project. Fortunately we found a sponsor who graciously bears the parade expense. Our
sponsor chooses to remain anonymous but we are grateful for his contributions without which the community would lose a beloved
event.
While the parade has changed in structure and size over the years it is eagerly looked forward
to by the community. Always held on the second Saturday of December it still remains free to all entrants. The event is truly
a home town event, giving our local children, organizations, and schools a chance to march and vie for a trophy. We will be
holding our Golden Anniversary Parade in December and hope to continue never being rained out.
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From the onset our club became involved with community projects supporting local charities and
providing for the needy. The club has always taken to heart the challenge from Helen Keller to be knights of the blind by
providing vision checks and glasses to the needy in our community.
Like most clubs our membership has gone up and down over the years, but has always maintained
a core of dedicated Lions who hold us to our principles of service to our community and the needy.
Over the years our club has had many accomplishments and we are proud to maintain a position
of leadership in our zone and region. Not dwelling in the past our club focuses on the present and future always looking for
new service opportunities and fund-raisers.
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Rather then a rivalry, our club has formed a partnership with the Calimesa Breakfast Lions.
Together we man the snack bar at the Yucaipa High School football games and most special events that are held there. We also
serve breakfast for the annual Multiple Sclerosis Bikeathon to Palm Springs.
Some of our members join with the Calimesa Lions and Friends Across the Border for visits to
Mexico to give eye examinations and dispense glasses to the very needy. Our club actively participates in the Student Speaker
Contest, White Cane, and Lions Flag program. We also try to donate to all of our district projects.
In addition to our many projects our club proudly sponsors Boy Scout Troop 8. We look to the
scouts for help in some of our projects and we in turn help them where we can.
Our purpose is to serve the community, as well as to participate in projects around the world.
Our members determine a need and then help where and when we can.
"We are Proud to be Lions"
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