The Westfield Lions Club has formed a new 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, which means your monetary donations to the Westfield Lions are now tax-deductible gifts. This allows the Westfield Lions to better partner with the community by offering an incentive to help an organization with a long history of helping others.
One of the many benefits to this new status is that they can establish a fund to help renovate their new clubhouse, which they were forced to purchase after being displaced by downtown Westfield redevelopment projects.
“The Westfield Lions Clubhouse has been a community resource in Westfield since 1958 and has played a pivotal role in the Club’s activities,” the Lions said. “The Clubhouse typically is in use over 150 times per year for 4-H meetings, club events and meetings, reunions, wedding receptions and other events. Several local churches started with services in the building. Recently, the clubhouse has been used as a polling location on Election Day.”
Before forming their new 501(c)(3), the Westfield Lions were not able to accept donations to the club itself but did so on behalf of the various community projects they support.
“Since their beginning in 1933, the Westfield Lions Club has served Westfield and Hamilton County through various projects, financial donations and community support activities,” the Lions told The Reporter. “The club was one of the first groups to sponsor a three-day county agricultural show, the forerunner of the Hamilton County 4-H Fair. Many Lions to this day still play various roles in the fair. They also sponsored the first fish fry ever held in the county which continues today as a fundraising project.”
Generous contributions from the Westfield Lions Club continue to be made to such Lions projects as Lions Club International Foundation, Lions Cancer Control Fund of Indiana, Indiana Lions Eye and Tissue Bank, Indiana Lions for Leader Dog, Indiana Lions Speech and Hearing, Westfield Fire and Police departments and various Veterans, Women’s, Homeless and Those in Need programs. Several members assist Lions’ projects at the Speedway and Indiana State Fair.
The Club assists local students with eye care, honors the top 10 high school seniors scholastically and recognizes outstanding senior male and female athletes. The club also supports Hoosier Girls State, Scouting programs, the Lester L. Tudor Scholarship, the Florence S. Benson Community Award, and Scholarship, Trade, Vocational and Culinary Scholarships.
If you’d like to help the Westfield Lions continue their good work, you can email info@westfieldlionsfoundation.org or call (317) 372-3444.
It is the season of giving, so please consider giving a little something to an organization that consistently gives so much to so many others.