The first Lions Club orgainized in Austin was the Austin Lions Club, chartered on October 19, 1944.  The Austin Lions Club meets each Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at the Austin Elks Club for a luncheon and program.

The Austin Lions Club has grown from its original membership of 32 members to its current level of 76 members.  Fund raising activites of the club include: Pancake Day, Austin High School Packers Football Concession Stand, Sale of Lions Club Mints, Pancake Grill Rentals, White Cane Day and participation in the Austin Go-Cart Unit.

The major recipients of the fund raising efforts are the Lions Eye Bank Program at the University of Minnesota, Camp Winnebago and the Lions Club International
Foundation.

Other recipients include:

          The Salvation Army
          QTV Public Television
          Austin Youth Hockey, Baseball and Soccer
          Riverland Community College Scholarships
          The Lions Hearing & Lions Diabetes Foundations
          Many other Community and Youth Projects

Past District Governor George Dugan was instrumental in establishing the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank.  The Austin Lions Club members built and maintain the covered bridge at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center and the Information Kiosk located at Interstate 90 and Highway 218 North.  Austin Lions Club members and Austin Post Office employees work together collecting used eyeglasses that are recycled and distributed to individuals who need them.  The Austin Lions Club also sponsors the Lions District 5M1 Peace Poster Project.

The Austin Lions Club sponsored the charter of the Austin Morning Lions Club on November 28, 1980.  The official name of the Austin Lions Club is "Austin Lions Club", but with the charter of the Austin Morning Lions Club, the Austin Lions Club has also been called the Austin Noon Lions Club to differentiate between the two clubs. There is now an evening Lions Club, also.


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