Club News - April 2023

The Grifton Lions Club has been named among the fastest-growing Lions clubs in  North Carolina. The club inducted eight new members, recording a 125% growth rate.  Lion Jerry Williams received an award from International President Brian Sheehan for his achievements in fulfilling the mission of LCI. Williams is responsible for bringing in many of the new Grifton inductees over the last year.

At a recent Boy Scout Breakfast, the Broadalbin-Perth Lions Club in New York sponsored two Scouts for this year's DEC Summer Camp. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation camps let Scouts spend a week immersed in nature and combine environmental education, hunter education programs, and outdoor recreation.

The Breese Lions in Illinois held their 37^th annual Chicken Dinner. Since 1986 the dinner has been held annually on the first Sunday of March (except 2021 due to COVID), and Breese Lions have served a total of 46,202 dinners. This year’s workers included 25 of the 46 club members, 19 spouses and relatives of members, five Breese Lions widows and children, five volunteer firemen, and six students, serving 1,348 dinners with a net profit of more than US$8,300.

The Colfax Lions Club in California teamed up with Colfax Elementary School staff to recognize students who exceeded school goals for growth in reading as measured by standardized testing. Colfax Lions gave each student a Kindle, responding to Lions’ call to action for clubs to plan projects and activities that stress the vital importance of reading.

The National Loon Center is preparing for another summer of on-the-water education with the help of the Crosslake Ideal Lions Club in Minnesota. The Lions donated US$1,000 for the purchase of new high-quality binoculars to be used by participants aboard the StewardShip, a 31-foot tritoon boat that leads the National Loon Center’s educational excursions on Cross Lake.

The Parsippany Lions Club in New Jersey hosted its first Spring Food Festival at  Central Middle School as a fundraiser for the First Responders.

In North Carolina, 22 Lions from Zones 5 and 6 in Districts 31-L and 31-I came together to pack BackPack food bags for elementary children. The Lions stocked shelves and packed more than 750 bags of food to be given out during the following week.

The Valley Lions Club in Manitoba, Canada, hosted the 24th annual Billy Beal Classic Ice Fishing Derby at Whitefish Lake.  With US$10,000 up for grabs, Winnipegosis’ Thomas McKay landed a 4 lb. 2 oz. Northern Pike with 14 minutes left in the tournament and weighed it in with six minutes remaining.

Seven members of the James City Lions Club in Virginia collected 342 pounds of soft plastic at the Rec Center in March. The plastic is shipped to Trex to be recycled into decking material. The club has kept more than 16,500 pounds of plastic out of landfills.

The Lions Club of Merritton in Ontario, Canada, donated CAN$5,000 toward a new Dog Guide training facility in Oakville. The CAN$50 million project scheduled for completion in 2025 will provide updated facilities and increase the number of dogs trained annually. Merritton Lions made a five-year, CAN$25,000 commitment to the project. A second donation of CAN$5000 was presented for the current operations at Dog Guide facilities. The club also ran a successful Trivia Night when more than 300 players came out to test their knowledge and support the Westview Centre4Women, a resource center and meeting place created by women for women.

In Illinois, the Polo Lions Toy Show drew more than 300 people, some to look and many to buy toys from the vendors at the show.

The Kent, Washington Lions donated US$5,000 to the Kent Police Department for their newly created Blue Bridge Foundation which provides funds for police personnel to use when they come across someone in need of clothing, food, or short stay housing. The police officers often paid for this out of their own pockets.

In Minnesota, the Orono Lions’ 36th annual Snowball Open was held in Long Lake, on the lake. More than 600 golfers took part and Lions raised more than US$25,000 for local charities and organizations. The 18-hole course is carved out of the frozen tundra on Long Lake, and the Lions’ challenging 19^th hole was a big hit. Golfers donated US$2 to play the 19^th hole and had a chance to win up to US$100 getting the ball in a big can.

In Illinois, the Aurora Noon Lions celebrated St. Patrick's Day at their March 16 meeting. The Noon Lions also prepared and served lunch to about 150 men and women at Aurora’s Hesed House where they help people who are homeless or are facing homelessness.

The Erie, Pennsylvania Lions Club chartered in 1922, began in 1939 to sponsor an All-Star High School Football game to fund its mission. Lions are now busy planning their 85^th game often referred to as “the kickoff to the high school football season.” More than 5,000 coaches and players participate and consider it an honor, understanding and appreciating the fact that they are doing so for a cause much bigger than themselves. Since that first game, the Save An Eye All-Star Football game has raised more than US$3 million and last fall provided US$20,000 for vision screening of children.