To the Editor:

On Wednesday April 17, the Boykins Lions Club members will have a door-to-door broom sale starting at 6 p.m. in the town of Boykins.

These brooms are made in North Carolina by the blind and visually impaired. This is the first door-to-door sale that we have had in many, many years. In years past, we used to go all over Southampton County and also Severn, N.C. selling brooms. If this sale is a success, we might go door-to-door selling brooms in other towns.

The Boykins Club was chartered in 1946 and is the only one in Southampton County. The Franklin Lions Club was our sponsor. We have only one living charter member of our club, Roy A. Lassiter; he has served as president and also served as club treasurer for 14 years. We currently have 22 club members and in the last 67 years the Boykins Club has contributed over $209,000 back into our community.

Our main service is to provide assistance to children and adults in need of glasses and hearing aids. We sponsor the sight and hearing van that comes to Southampton public schools and Southampton Academy, which screens the sight and hearing needs of children; screening over 400 students per year.

Recently, our Lions Club had the privilege of providing glasses to a middle school student screened by the Lions sight and hearing van. Their reading skills at the time were below average. After being screened and obtaining glasses, the students reading skills skyrocketed and the student was on the honor roll! This all happened in our Boykins community.

Our Lions Club supports the following programs: Local Food Bank at Boykins United Methodist Church, Leader Dog for the Blind program, Eye Bank, Boy Scouts of America and also provides assistance to families in need in our community. We collect old hearing aids and eyeglasses to be recycled. The drop box for these items is located at The Pharmacy of Boykins in Boykins.

The reason for this column is to promote our Lions Club broom sale and to inform the public how important Lions are in this community. We perform services because we believe in the value of giving back” to the community. We are not just another community group. We are the world’s largest service club! We’re Knights of the Blind; but we are also crucially important to youths, those with disabilities and those affected by disasters. Can you imagine the world without Lions, or even just your own community? Our miracles of service enable countless people to live more productive lives. Lions are the everyday heroes in our communities who selflessly fill in the gaps not filled by government or charities.

Please help us by continuing to support our Broom Sales, Steak Feast and the other functions of our club. We need your support more than ever!

Thank you,
Lion Spier Edwards
Boykins Lions Club