Elden came to work for FHLC in September of 1983 – nearly 27 years ago! A former Army officer with 28 years of active duty, Elden has carried out each of his Lions club assignments with a mission-oriented approach. His club work history is extensive – he says he “likes to make things happen.” Shortly after joining FHLC, Elden began organizing blood drives (an extension of his son’s Eagle Scout project). To date, this important community service project has yielded 2859 usable units of blood. Elden has also been the club’s eyeglass coordinator since 1994, providing approximately 40 pairs of free eyeglasses to needy people in our community each year. Elden says that he’s received the most personal satisfaction from being the Fruit Sale coordinator from 1994 – 2005. He streamlined the operation by reducing the number of annual sales (from 4 to 3) and simplified the citrus inventory (concentrating on oranges and grapefruit only). Under his leadership, annual fruit sale profit increased from $10,000-$17,000 to a high of over $21,000 on a consistent basis.

Elden served as FHLC president (1994-95) and was the District 24-A Cabinet Secretary (1997-98). He’s also been the president of the Virginia Lions Eye Institute since 1996. To date, he has sponsored 12 new club members. Through his dedicated efforts, Elden has earned the following awards and recognitions:

• Lion of the Year (1995-96)
• Melvin Jones Fellowship recognition (1997)
• LOVF Humanitarian Award (1999)
• Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship recognition (2008)
• Life Member Lions Club International
• Life Member Lions of Virginia

According to Elden, the demographics of the club membership have changed over the years. When he joined the club, almost all the members were retired. However, today’s club has a large number of working members – “a very good thing”, in Elden’s opinion. His advice to new members is to “get involved in club activities – don’t sit on the sidelines.” Since joining the Fairfax Host Lions Club, Elden has been a self-starter, has accepted responsibility, and has demonstrated a can-do attitude. He’s produced positive results when it comes to fund raising and service to the community. In so many ways, he really has been the “Wright” Lion for the job!

Contact Lion Elden Wright for details.