Lion - February 2018

Club News

2018-02-02 17:46:34

Sister Bay Lions in Wisconsin offer bratwurst and the traditional fish boil at their successful Fall Festival fundraising event. The club celebrated its 65th anniversary in September and has given more than US$1 million back to the community.

The Spring Hill Tennessee Lions in their 50th year sponsored a softball league for the 48th time. The league is the club’s largest service project. This year it included more than 500 players ages 3 through 15.

The Emmitsburg Lions in Maryland celebrated their 35th anniversary and presented Lion Eugene Rosensteel with the Melvin Jones Award. Rosensteel, a 20-year member, was instrumental in starting the Community Day Celebration and many community projects, including the annual health fare.

The Oro District Lions of Ontario hosted a group of foster parents and their puppies at the Oro World’s Fair.

Barrie South Lions of Ontario collected 3,140 pounds of food and US$1,800 for the Barrie Food Bank on the days before Thanksgiving, providing 6,000 meals for people in need.

The Rockport Lions in Texas thank all the Lions who donated their time, supplies, money and spirit to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery. The club thanks District 2 A3 Governor Jesse Rodriguez for leadership, efforts, and support. In November, the Rockport Lions provided school clothes to 75 children, blankets, and sleeping bags to Harvey victims and school supplies to Head Start.

The McKinney Morning Pride Lions in Texas hosted their first Grocery Grab. Raffle tickets were sold and the winners dashed through the McKinney Market Street store with US$500 and 15 minutes to spend it. Proceeds from the project will support eye screenings and the Texas Lions Camp.

The Wellsville Lions in New York hosted a free chicken and stuffing dinner for 131 seniors in honor of World Service Day. The weather didn’t cooperate, but they had 25 Lions and some Leos from Wellsville High School who helped. Music was provided by honorary Lion Carole Aldrich.

Rocky Point Lions in New York hosted their 50th annual pancake breakfast and Halloween costume contest.

Sister Bay Lions in Wisconsin offer bratwurst and the traditional fish boil at their successful Fall Festival fundraising event. The club celebrated its 65th anniversary in September and hasgiven more than US$1 million back to the community.

Texas Lions came together for a corral project benefitting the Texas Lions Camp for disabled children. Forty fence panels were fabricated and taken to the camp for installation along with plus material for posts and gates to be installed on a work day.

The McKeesport Lions held a Toys for Tots breakfast buffet. Lions accepted donations, cooked, cleared tables, and filled coffee cups. Lion Shawn Potts, a member of the Marine Reserve, handed out toys. Patrons who made a donation received a bag filled with cookies made by Lions and were eligible to win a holiday themed basket donated by a Lion.

In honor of their 40th anniversary the Sugar Valley Lions of Pennsylvania purchased and installed two park benches in the Veterans Memorial area in Loganton. Besides offering a place to rest, the benches will be handy for residents at lunch time and provide a viewing area during parades.

Sandia Mountain Lions began formation of the New Mexico Diabetes Awareness Program three years ago, and in November they sponsored their first Diabetes Awareness Expo. More than 40 Lions from six 40 N Lions clubs supported the project. New Mexico Lions, Operation KidSight, and the University of New Mexico School of Pharmacy did free screenings. Education and lunch was provided and a “jug and kettle” band provided entertainment.

Magnetawan Lions in Ontario support the local school in many ways, including the purchase and delivery of the school T-shirts featuring the Magnetawan Dragons.

Alexandria Evening Lions in Minnesota hosted their 45th annual Lions Cross Country Invitational “Meet of Champions” with 1,445 runners from 22 schools participating. Boys and girls from Minnesota, South Dakota, and Winnipeg, Canada have competed in the past, and six of the top 10 teams in Minnesota took part this year. Photo courtesy of Echo Press

In Texas, the Linden Lions Club hosted a pumpkin decorating contest, charging a US$5 entry fee. Decorated pumpkins were on display, and individuals purchased US$1 tickets to vote for a winner. Lions raised US$334 to send a child to the Texas Lions Camp.

Stirling and District Lions in Ontario, Canada had a toll booth on Front Street at the only intersection in the village that has traffic lights. Road users were asked to voluntarily donate a toll of their choosing. The one-day total was close to US$4,000—not bad for a community of less than 5,000 residents. The money will be put toward updating the Lions Hall, the largest venue in Stirling. Lions are making it handicap accessible with a wheelchair lift and a handicap-accessible washroom.

In California, West Covina Lion Nancy Ruyter donated US$1,000 toward her club’s vision care programs. Nancy told her club that in her infancy she developed health problems that caused one of her eyes to become crossed. To correct the problem, she underwent surgery at age 6 or 7. Her mother later told her that the Lions club in her community provided financial assistance toward that surgery. Now she is giving back by supporting and participating in her club’s several vision care programs.

Spring Hill Lions in Tennessee screened a record number 490 preschool children during October and November.

Brandon Lions in Minnesota made a donation of US$3,600 to the Brandon-Evansville school district, enabling each of the 36 teachers to purchase items for use in the classroom.

In Ohio, the Prospect Lions sponsored their 10th annual NASCAR Dinner and Auction to provide scholarships for graduating high school seniors. They also installed two park benches near the village Christmas tree as their Legacy Project.

Belfast Lions in Maine presented school nurses in their district with a handheld, portable spot vision screener which will be used to detect vision issues among lower grade level students during regularly scheduled eyesight screening programs. This device will allow the district’s trained operators to quickly and efficiently scan these children’s eyes from a distance, using a combination of lights and sounds to engage them, making the process simpler. Large school classes can be screened to a high degree of accuracy within a matter of hours as opposed to the several days traditional screening methods require. The scanner cost more than US$7,000, which Belfast Lions were able to meet in part thanks to a memorial fund which had been established in the name of Past King Lion and Melvin Jones Fellow, Dale Palmer.

The Forbes Road Lions Club in Pennsylvania sponsored, installed, and dedicated a Veterans Wall known as the Honor Hustontown Military Honor Roll that now hangs in the Forbes Road High School lobby. It recognizes all Hustontown veterans and honors them for their service.

More than 1,100 people attended the 45th Annual National Philanthropy Day event presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals San Diego Chapter at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in California. The Downtown San Diego Lions Club was awarded Outstanding Grant Making Organization. The club has been dedicated to their community for 95 years. The Downtown San Diego Lions Club sponsors Lions Camp Jack, providing at-risk youth with a summer camping experience. They also support Hannah’s House and the Interfaith Shelter Network’s El Nido program providing a safe place for homeless women and their children. The San Diego Lions Welfare Foundation was created in the 1940s and has distributed more than US$4 million to worthy individuals and local non-profits in the last two decades.

INFORMATION

In Memoriam

Past International Director Gordon R. Post (1985-1987) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has died. The late Past Director Post became a Lion in 1960, and was originally a member of the Maplewood, New Jersey Lions Club before moving to the Albuquerque Northeast Lions Club. He held many offices within the association over the years, including club president and district governor, and also served as the vice-president of the Eye/Ear Foundation of New Jersey and president of the New Mexico Lions Eye Foundation from 1994 to 1998. The late Past Director Post received many awards in recognition of his dedication and service, including the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the association’s highest honor.

Published by International Association of Lions Clubs . View All Articles.

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