CANDY DAY HISTORY

Candy Days TBD

PDG Marvin Tench didn’t like the way blind people were being treated. They weren’t objects of ridicule and pencil sellers; they were human beings with a right to dignity, education, and meaningful employment. His dream was a statewide effort of Lions to help the blind, and improve the understanding of blindness by the citizens.

In 1952, as a result of the work of PDG Tench and his friends, the Lions of Illinois adopted a resolution for a statewide drive: Prior to 1952, Lion efforts in the state were either local or district. After 1952, the face of Lionism would change forever in Illinois.

The first campaign was in which money was collected and plastic lapel pins, shaped like white canes, were given away. That first year $11,000 was raised, and 60% of it was given to Hadley School for the Blind and Leader Dogs for the Blind, with the local clubs retaining the balance for local use. However, Chicago was not receptive to the program: the City Government stated Chicago could only have five tag days, and the lapel pin resembled a tag.

The Lions made themselves welcome in Chicago the next year by using Cracker Jacks - but the media did not respond. No one wanted to publicize a commercial product. In 1956, the Lions began giving away a candy roll with clear Lion markings. SUCCESS! The publicity coverage increased and so did the donations from the public.

Candy Day has grown to a net of $100,000 in 1960, $320,000 in 1965, $597,000 in 1970, close to $1 million in the early 1980’s, and over $1 million in the 1990s.

Not only that, the success in Illinois prompted other states to pick up the program, and by 1981, there were 15 states involved in Candy Day from Connecticut to New Mexico. Even Lions is Australia had begun a similar program.

In Illinois, programs and services were added as Candy Day expanded. In 1963, funds ‘were given to Camp Lions and Dialogue, as well as to Hadley School for the Blind and Leader Dogs. With Camp Lions, the Lions were beginning a program of offering their own services as well as offering grants (money) to other agencies providing services. This trend was to continue into the early 1980’s, with the Lions seeing needs and filling them — as a direct result of the success of Candy Day.

Although PDG Tench died in 1966, his dream lived after him. Carol Channing, Johnny Carson, Jack Benny, and other celebrities helped push the Candy Day dream. Jamborees were added so that Candy Day techniques could be refined. More and more Lions Clubs became involved. Problems of the deaf became an additional concern of Illinois Lions and Lions Clubs International with the Candy day of the early 80’s aimed at problems for the blind, visually impaired, deaf and hearing impaired.