The Windcrest Lions Club in July opened a new year of “lionism.” The 31-year-old organization has been supporting programs and services to improve people’s vision and hearing for more than 30 years.

The Windcrest Lions’ 30 members join forces with nearly 2 million members from almost 200 countries and geographic areas to form the largest service organization in the world.

This organization has a busy slate of late summer and fall activities, such as having hosted Tuesday Ray Watson, director of the Windcrest Economic Deve-lopment Corp. Watson briefed club members on the latest economic happenings in and around Windcrest, primarily Rackspace Managed Hosting signing a long-term agreement to redevelop the former Windsor Park Mall.

The club recently held its last fundraiser of the year, the annual Mexican dinner.

The Windcrest Lions are carrying on a yearly project to round up dictionaries, which will be given to third graders at Windcrest and Walzem elementary schools.

Upcoming projects include:

• A challenge to be given to fifth graders at Walzem Elementary, where they will research, calculate, use logic, and submit a final paper to receive a reward. Such academic challenges provide prize funds for elementary school field trips.

• Eighth-grade students at Ed White Middle School will participate in the Lions’ peace poster contest again this year. White is a previous state winner in the competition.

Aside from the aforementioned activities, Windcrest Lions support or help with the following projects and organizations:

• Texas Lions Camp for disabled and diabetic children

• Lions International Sight First, which fights blindness worldwide

Funds for these and other programs come from individual and corporate donations as well as the Mexican dinner and the club’s Christmas greenery sales in October.

The Windcrest Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday at the Windcrest Civic Center, 9310 Jim Seal Drive. For more,call club president Ric Henderson at 946-7970 or visit online at www.windcresttx.lionwap.org.