Newburgh Lions Club

Serving the community since 1923.

THE NEWBURGH LIONS CLUB

The City of Newburgh Lions Club was chartered in 1923 and has been serving the greater Newburgh Community ever since.

During the Club's early years, our special relationship with philanthropists Colonel Frederick Hitch and his wife Anne Delano Hitch facilitated their donation of the land for Newburgh's Recreation Park and Algonquin Park. Through our efforts, Mrs. Hitch was elected the first honorary woman member of Lions International in 1924. Ten years later, with support from our Club, Miss Helen Keller was elected as the second homorary woman member of Lions International.

We have always been a club of DO-ers! Through the years, we have raised well over a million dollars used to help the sightless and the under-privileged; to purchase and donate surgical equipment for St. Luke's Hospital; to annually fund our scholarship for Mount St. Mary College; to encourage teenage sports and community involvement; to improve community facilities; and to help local youth obtain college educations. Simply mention the Newburgh Lions Club, and you'll hear how we have touched the lives of so many people – right here in our own community. Whether it was providing a pair of eye glasses, a scholarship, a ride to the doctor, or hosting an event that encouraged a day spent with family, the Lions have been there for Newburgh.

A partial list of the Club's activities is as follows:

  • we built the North End and the Lander Street Playgrounds
  • Delano Hitch Swimming Pool (with the help of the City)
  • Shelter House at Downing Park and Field House at Recreation Park
  • ASU's National Speed Skaters Hall of Fame 
  • Conducted anti-diphtheria campaigns, eye, hearing, and diabetes screenings
  • Held testimonial dinners, Block N Dinners
  • Annual Lions Minstrel Shows and Aqua-Parades
  • Mid-Atlantic Speed Skating Championships
  • Originated the Foxman Awards and Walter Garvey Award at NFA
  • Held sled rides, Halloween and Christmas Parties for under-privileged children
  • Held horse shows, pets shows, gun shows, sporting clay shoots, stamp shows, football pools, and treasure hunts
  • Sponsored youth exchange programs and the poison control center
  • Held blind seal campaigns and the Lions Fair
  • Sponsored the Delano Hitch Skating Club, the Newburgh Winter Club and the Newburgh Eye Bank.

Accomplishments like these are not possible by individuals alone. We are a group of dedicated members, and the longevity of our Club and the impact we have had on the community testifies to the dedication of our Club, District 20-0, and Lions International.

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