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 Margaret Newell
630-571-5466 ext. 315
Joslyn Osten
630-571-5466 ext. 500
For Immediate Release
More than 700 Lions Take Part in Lions Day with the United Nations
OAK BROOK, IL USA, March 10, 2006— More than 700 Lions, Lionesses and Leos took part in Lions Day with the United Nations on Friday, March 10 at UN Headquarters in New York City, New York. The annual event is held on a Friday in March. The event drew representatives from over 25 states and 11 countries around the world.
Among the highlights of the daylong event were presentations by Lech Walesa, Former President of the Republic of Poland and 1983 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and H.E. Mr. Nirupam Sen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. Proclamations from the Governor of New York, Lion George E. Pataki, and the New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, were delivered to the group. Lions Clubs International President Ashok Mehta of India praised the combined efforts of the two groups in serving humanity.
This year’s winner of the Lions International Peace Poster Contest, Cleverson da Silva Rosa, also took part in the event. A 13-year-old boy from Brazil, da Silva Rosa was presented with an award and US$2,500. The president of the sponsoring Lions club (Cidade Gaucha Lions Club) and da Silva Rosa’s father and brother accompanied him to the award ceremony. Gina Lee of New York and Wade Angeli of Virginia, merit award winners in the Peace Poster Contest, also attended the ceremony and were recognized for their achievement.
Lions, Lionesses and Leos dined with the Ambassadors for a private lunch and took a tour of the UN building.
Following lunch, Russian schoolchildren entertained the more than 700 participants with a waltz. Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for UNICEF addressed the Ambassadors and Lions. Lions Clubs International President Ashok Mehta and Lions Representative to UNICEF, Past International Director Robert Klein, presented checks to UNICEF. Accepting on behalf of UNICEF was Kate Weber, Coordinator, US Fund for UNICEF.
Lions Day with the United Nations provides an opportunity to grasp the understanding of the longstanding partnership Lions have with the United Nations. The relationship between Lions Clubs International and the UN began after the end of World War II. In 1945, the same year the United Nations was founded, Lions founder Melvin Jones and Past International Presidents Fred W. Smith and D.A. Skeen were asked to help develop the non-governmental organization (NGO) charter for the new global organization. At the time, Lions Clubs International was already an established worldwide service organization.
During the ensuing years, the two organizations have cooperated on many humanitarian ventures. Lions have provided aid and manpower for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) projects.
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with nearly 1.35 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in 197 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit the Web site at www.lionsclubs.org.
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