Club News - May 2023

Children who are blind or have low vision, along with their siblings, enjoyed an Easter tradition with a special sensory egg hunt sponsored by 11 Lions Clubs around the Greater New Orleans area of Louisiana. Lion Clubs of District 8S made donations of food, drinks, prizes, and treats for 27 pediatric clients from Lighthouse Louisiana, many using their white canes to find special eggs with beepers inside them. It was the seventh year the Lions Clubs partnered with Lighthouse Louisiana for this annual event.

In Wisconsin, the Goodman-Armstrong Creek (GAC) Lions Club donated US$500 to help the town of Fence break ground for a new playground, built benches for the town of Armstrong Creek and the school district, donated to the local fire departments and rescue squads for replenishing supplies, and gave college scholarships to two GAC High School students. In March they provided a free “Pancake and Porky” breakfast as part of Armstrong Creek’s Second Annual Sappy Days.

In Massachusetts, the Second Annual South Attleboro Village Lions (SAVL) Sock Drive collected 1,125 pairs for all ages and distributed them to the homeless shelters, veterans, the Head Start Program, several churches, and others in need. Over the past two years SAVL have put more than 2,000 pairs of cold feet into warm socks. The Lions club also held its third annual pajama drive for children, providing new pajamas, a book, and a stuffed animal, plus socks or a blanket for a comforting bedtime routine. The pajamas were bagged in lavender scented bags to help promote sleep and relaxation, then distributed to churches, the Head Start Program, and children in need. SAVL has provided more than 500 pairs of pajamas to children in their community over the past three years.

The Polo Lions in Illinois served biscuits and gravy for breakfast, then burgers, brats, and hot dogs for lunch at the spring Hazel Hurst auction that happens twice a year.

The Colts Neck Lions Club in New Jersey hosted its annual Derby Day Tasting Event with beer, bourbon and wine tasting including more than 40 varieties of wine. Food trucks, music, and games, including a derby hat contest, a silent auction and a mechanical bull added to the fun. Proceeds help create Braille Trails in the Monmouth County Parks System.

In Pennsylvania, McKeesport Lions applauded Lion Bobbie Billsborrow who for 15 years has raised funds for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a childhood cancer research organization. She sells candy bars and popcorn and accepts pledges toward shaving her head each year at the main event that St. Baldrick’s holds in the Pittsburgh area near St. Patrick’s Day. This year Billsborrow raised more money for the foundation than anyone else in the Pittsburgh area.

The Avon Grove High School Leos in Pennsylvania assisted the community in Penn Township's Easter event where children enjoyed face painting, a giant slide, train rides, and the scramble for 15,000 plastic eggs filled with treats.

The East Brunswick Leo Club along with the Edison Metro Lions in New Jersey started their overseas book donation project in 2010, every year sending more than 700 books to underprivileged kids in Africa or the Philippines. Their 2023 book donation project was a big success with Leos and Lions sending more than 700 books to the Philippines.

The Rockaway Beach Lions in Oregon hosted their annual Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner after a hiatus during Covid. The community came out in force. Leos from the local high school helped serve, and the dinner by donation brought in more than US$600.

Members of the Mechanicsburg Lions Club in Pennsylvania helped to beautify the Pink Hands of Hope Thrift Store, supplying flowers and trees, and working all morning on various projects.
In Florida, the Ormond Beach Lions offer a monthly vision screening at the Ormond Beach City Hall's Farmer’s Market. The South Daytona Lions conduct screenings at the Port Orange Farmers and Flea Market each month.

The Woodbine Georgia Lions with help and support from the Woodbine Woman's Club had a successful Sixth Annual Car Show at the Lions Camp for the Blind in Waycross, Georgia. Proceeds from the show totaled US$4,600.

In Kentucky, The Murray High School Leo Club held its Inaugural Charter Night in April during the Murray Lions’ April club meeting. More than 80 people attended including 22 Leos wearing their new club shirts, The first Murray High Leo Club service project was spring cleaning the Lions Skatepark in support of Earth Day. Lions and Leos also replenished 14 blessing boxes throughout Calloway County.