Growing local pride

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New leader of Zionsville Lions eager to expand club’s reach

By Anna Skinner

Mark Amman has officially been inducted as the new president of the Zionsville Lions Club, the largest of its kind in the state with 130 members. The club’s new leader is eager to drive community involvement even higher during his tenure.

“We want to do more outreach to the community, try to bring in new members, and let people know about all the good things the Lions Club can do locally and throughout the world,” Amman said. “I am so grateful for the opportunities the Lions Club membership has afforded me. It allowed me to make friendships quickly and give back to this wonderful community.”

Amman has been an active member with the Zionsville Lions for eight years, and he has served various positions such as treasurer and being on the board of directors. He joined the club at the encouragement of his wife, who was already a member.

“My wife and I were married eight years ago and moved to Zionsville. We really wanted to get involved with the community. It was very service oriented, and a great place to raise a family,” Amman said. “My wife was involved in the Lions Club and brought me into it. It is a great way into the community and to get to know people and understand what it means to be a part of the community.”

In January 2014, Amman and his wife traveled to Mexico with 40 other Indiana Lions Club members. The mission trip lasted a week, and the members fitted the Mexican citizens with recycled and refurbished eye glasses. A team of optometrists journeyed with the members and helped fit the citizens with the correct prescription. Over the course of the week, they fitted citizens with more than 16,000 pairs of glasses.

Tim Reinhart, the Lions President for the 2013-14 year, says he believes Amman is a good fit.  “I think Mark brings a new enthusiasm and a willingness to promote Lionism.  He and his wife went on a mission trip to Mexico recently and I saw a motivated Lion when he returned,” Reinhart said.

Although the Lions Club was originally founded to assist with eyesight-related problems, they also raise funds for measles research, AIDs and more. They have various clinics established throughout Indiana to assist with speech and hearing problems as well.

“It’s really diverse, there are a lot of different causes we get involved in,” Amman said.

As president, Amman said he hopes to complete more outreach programs as well as induct new members to the club. He encourages people to get involved and come to meetings.

The Zionsville Lions hold a variety of community events throughout the year, including an Easter egg hunt, hay rides, fall festivals, and more. On May 2, they will host a Citizen’s Work Day at Lions Park in Zionsville from 8 a.m. to noon. Any community members are welcome to attend and assist in spreading mulch on the playgrounds at the park. Thousands of hours of volunteer time are spent each year keeping the park maintained and preparing it for the spring and summer activities.

“We want to invite people out to Citizen’s Work Day to see all the fun we have in the process of helping maintain the park,” Amman said. “It is a real privilege and honor to lead this club.”

JOIN THE LIONS

Meetings are held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday at the Lions Clubhouse at 115 South Elm St. RSVP online at zionsvillelions.com/ or call 341-4410.  To learn more about the international aspects of the Lions Club, visit www.lionsclubs.org/.

Lions Leader

Name: Mark Amman

Age: 50

Occupation: Controller

Family: Wife Jennifer (42), twin daughters Cassi and Chelsea (19)

Hobbies: Community service, travel, golf, family activities

Education: BA from DePauw University; MBA from Indiana University Bloomington


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