The Las Gallinas Lions Club was founded in 1980 by local resident Les Mize. Les had been a Mill Valley Lion since 1965. He moved to Marinwood in 1969 and came to the conclusion that a Lions Club in the Marinwood area would be a great neighborhood asset for the residents of Marinwood and Lucas Valley. With the passage of California’s Proposition 13 in 1978, the Marinwood Community Services District
had to drastically reduce its services, eliminating many of its recreational and children’s programs. Les realized that a new Lions Club could help fill this void by resurrecting cancelled programs and activities. On March 18, 1980, the Las Gallinas Lions Club was formed. The new club included 44 local, community minded individuals who embraced the Lion’s motto, “WE SERVE.” Les Mize became our first club president. Our name, Las Gallinas, was selected by the charter members to reflect the geographical valley running from Puerto Suello Hill in the south to the southern limits of Novato. The main road traversing this valley is Las Gallinas Avenue. Our first community projects were resurrecting the annual Marinwood Easter Egg Hunt and starting a Halloween Parade and Costume Contest for neighborhood children. This established our long-standing commitment to our neighborhood’s young people. As we continued to grow, our club added many community activities and programs. We also raised money by conducting parking services for the Marin County Fair. This money continues to be returned to the community in the form of assistance grants for local groups and Lions International programs.
