MORE than 1200 Lions Club members from across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia will gather at Tamworth from Thursday for their multi-district convention, injecting an estimated $6 million boost to the local economy.
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The annual convention, which is normally held in a capital city, will run over five days from May 1 to 5 at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.
Numerous businesses will be involved in providing a range of services and products, including accommodation, printing, catering and entertainment, convention chairman Adrian Thurlow said.
“Local businesses have been given as much work as possible,” Mr Thurlow said.
“The convention is great for Tamworth, not only because of the money it brings into the town, but it also helps with local employment.”
Guests will start arriving on Sunday and world president, Barry Palmer, will fly in from America on Tuesday.
The Lions District 201 has asked Mr Palmer to open a “tool box”, which will be based in Tamworth for local disasters, Mr Thurlow said.
The tool box, which is a 20-foot container donated by Santos and fitted out by the Men’s Shed in Narrabri, will house in excess of $10,000 worth of tools to be loaned to communities in times of
catastrophes.
Mr Thurlow said a highlight of the convention will be a keynote speech by Sam Bailey, a quadri-
plegic from Croppa Creek, who has conquered his disability to become a successful farmer, ultralight pilot, inspirational speaker and bestselling author.