KUALA LUMPUR, June 29: The Lions Club of Kuala Lumpur outshone more than 100 clubs to win 21 awards through hard work and dedication at the recently held Lions Clubs International 61st Multiple District 308 Lions Convention of 2023.
The awards included 11 corporate social responsibility projects and the rest were for dedicated office-bearers and their exemplary work during their term in office.
Outgoing Lions Club of Kuala Lumpur club president Ms Lai Voon Mei, who also won an award for ‘Top President’, said the projects included integrating communities and their environments, cleaning and caring for a river, helping with youth development, a blood donation drive and pledge of organs upon death, emphasis on women and their health care and instilling inter-community collaborative efforts.
The award that stood above the rest was the ‘Kindness Matters Service’ Award (KMSA) for providing free breakfast to selected school-going children so that they can concentrate on their studies. Only 30 out of 40,000 clubs worldwide have received such a honoured recognition.
“This signature project called ‘A Meal A Day’, or AMAD in short, was introduced some 12 years ago in 2011 by the club’s past president Jenny Chong. Today, 128 students from eight schools benefit from the AMAD Project,” said Lai. “The objective revolves around eliminating hunger amongst the youth for a long-term humanitarian cause.”
The success of the AMAD project has been made possible by Datuk Stephen Wong, the current organising chairman, who had raised funds and increased donors and volunteers.
Several districts took part in the annual convention that included overseas participants and with 130 clubs representing District 308B1 alone.
Lai said the Lions had always pledged to reach out and help communities in dire need to survive and make their lives more liveable and meaningful.
“The strong friendship and teamwork had made the Lions the world’s largest organisation for more than 105 years and the club would continue to improve and strive for a better society by working together with more Lions because ‘Together We Can’,” she said.
WE