Club News - February 2022

The Norwalk Lions Club in Wisconsin celebrated its 70th anniversary and donated US$5,000 to Sparta Area Cancer Support.

Lion Jamene Farrell of the New Haven, Connecticut, Lions Club uses the Lions QUEST program in her Social/Emotional Learning classes she teaches to grades kindergarten through fourth at Seth Haley Elementary School in West Haven. For the past 10 years she has asked the children to make handmade Christmas, holiday, and get well cards for the hospitalized veterans in the West Haven Veteran's Hospital. This year 350 students made 407 cards.

In Illinois, members of the Riverside Lions Club collected donations including diapers, food, toiletries, tarps, and extension cords for tornado victims.

In Wisconsin, the Howard Village Board agreed to name their new park, “Lions Park,” in recognition of the continued service provided to the village by the Howard-Suamico Lions Club. An earlier survey in the communities of Howard and Suamico showed that residents of both villages were committed to having good parks. The club plans to donate US$10,000 toward improvements in the park.

The 29 Lions clubs in Pennsylvania’s District 14K had a district-wide fundraiser. They had a sell-out crowd at their bingo and basket raffle night, and about 250 people raised thousands of dollars, donating US$8,500 to Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital. The money will be used for research and to pay for infusions for kids who need them but aren't covered by insurance. Several clubs also donated toys, games and puzzles for the children.

Pass the butter and syrup. The Lubbock Lions Club in Texas was busy preparing for its 70^th annual pancake festival with the theme, “Back in the Saddle." Lions say it’s appropriate after last year's virtual Pancake Festival. Real pancakes taste so much better than virtual ones.  Pancakes are on the griddle from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. 1

The Red Lake and Ear Falls Lions in Ontario, Canada, provided the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Hospital with new X-ray equipment with the help of a US$100,000 grant from LCIF and the support of the Red Lake Hospital Foundation and Red Lake Hospital Auxiliary. The new equipment includes an X-ray machine with a table easier for patients to access, and a portable machine that can be rolled to patients’ rooms or the Emergency Department.

The Lemon Grove Lions in California turned out for their monthly community clean-up.

In Pennsylvania, the Avon Grove Lions presented a plaque to Lion Robin Rios, thanking him for his many years of service with the club and wishing him well as he moves to Tennessee. They know he’ll join another club there, but they’ll miss him.

The Lions Club of Leduc in Alberta, Canada, made donations totaling more than CAN$90,000 in 2021.

An anonymous donation made to the Rome Lions Club in New York helped several club members purchase an assortment of winter outfits for children. About 250 outfits of coats, snow pants, hats, mittens, and more were delivered to the Salvation Army and community schools to be distributed to children.

The Montreal West-Island Lions Club in Canada created a cookbook featuring creative recipes that taste great, are healthy, and reflect Montreal’s many cuisines. They included jokes and stories, too. All funds raised will be donated to the charities and foundations they support.

The Emporia, Kansas Lions purchased 200 books for Emporia’s children in the Head Start program.

The Aurora Noon Lions Club in Illinois kicked off its 100th anniversary celebration at the Aurora City Council meeting where the mayor proclaimed July 28, 2022 as Aurora Noon Lions Club Day. Street sign honoring their century of service will be placed at entrances to the city. The club was chartered by Lions Clubs International on July 28, 1922 with 39 Lions, becoming the 467^th Lions club.

With money donated by the Elburn Leo Club in Illinois the Elburn Fire Department was able to purchase Fire Alarm Aids with Bed Shakers for students in their fire district with hearing loss. The Fire Alarm Aid with Bed Shaker assists in waking up individuals when a smoke detector activates.

The “Shack” is out on the ice of Lake Cadillac, thanks to the Cadillac Lions of Michigan. Every winter, when the ice is just right, Cadillac Lions place their yellow shack on the ice to raise money. People buy tickets and make a guess as to when the ice will melt and the shack will fall into the lake. The closest guess wins one lucky person US$1,000. Some winters have kept the shack upright until April. Other times it’s fallen through in February. An eco-friendly project, Lions then retrieve the shack and wait for next year, hoping there’s a long spring and summer before they need it again.