Hilo hosts 90th Hawaii Lions convention, focuses on service and relief

Hilo’s return as host city for the Hawaii Lions District 50 Convention brought more than a reunion to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. The three-day gathering put about 225 to 250 Lions in one place to vote on new leaders, weigh amendments and push a diaper drive aimed at collecting 5,000 diapers for 100 keiki, giving the convention a direct local payoff beyond ceremony.

The 90th annual convention was hosted by District Governor Sean Benito of the Hilo Crescent City Lions Club, whose own story linked the meeting back to the island’s east side. Benito grew up in Keaukaha and has spent years in volunteer work, a background that fit the convention theme, Ohana of Service Heroes, and helped frame the event as a homecoming for both Hilo and the broader district.

The agenda reflected that mix of governance and service. Lions scheduled a quarterly cabinet meeting, a flag ceremony, a golf tournament and votes on leadership and amendments, all while the organization used the convention to keep a statewide network connected. Lions Clubs International’s 2025-2026 district register listed the Hilo club with 43 members and the Hilo Crescent City Lions Club with 24, underscoring the local base behind the district’s work. The Hilo club’s history goes back even farther, with club-health records showing it was chartered on March 24, 1932.

The diaper drive was one of the clearest examples of the convention’s practical impact. Run with the Hawaii Diaper Bank and Waiakea Kokua Initiative, it targeted families with young children and tied the Hilo meeting to a specific service goal. The partnership also fit a broader pattern of Lions work in Hawaii. In January, clubs statewide held their 17th annual collection of eyeglasses and hearing aids and added a food drive with the Food Basket, another sign that the organization’s reach is measured in donations and daily necessities, not just meetings.

That work arrived at a time when disaster relief still mattered across the islands. After the Kona low storms, Lions sent emergency grants to harder-hit communities and arranged for a shipping container of supplies to go to Molokai. State officials said residents affected by the storms could call 211 for disaster case management, while the state agriculture department opened emergency relief for farmers and ranchers. Gov. Josh Green said the storms caused about $700 million in damage, and AccuWeather estimated total statewide losses at around $2 billion. In that context, the Hilo convention served as a staging ground for the next round of mutual aid.