When disasters strike, Lions aren’t far behind. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Lions Clubs International Foundation mobilized US$5 million for immediate and long-term reconstruction in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
With help from Lions, Chalmette High School in Louisiana, which was razed by the 2005 storm, rebuilt and reinvented itself. Today it is a shining example of what a modern education facility can look like.
US$1.36 million in donations from Lions like you helped the school establish a medical clinic for students and children, a library, a new computer lab and modern equipment for an industrial arts program that teaches trade skills. LCIF also funded school buses, Thanksgiving meals for the students and a program that provides coats for the kids.
In a final visit to the school, LCIF completed distributing funds for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas The school is a prime example of how your donations can help people rebuild lives after a disaster.
In one month, thousands of Lions, Leos and friends will descend on Busan, Korea, for our 95thInternational Convention. We will gather to exchange ideas, make new friends and reconnect with the reasons we joined the world largest service organization.
I hope that you will join me in Busan for what promises to be our largest convention ever. Between the beautiful beaches and delicious cuisine, the locale has something for everyone. Our flag ceremony andparade of nations are events that every Lion should experience.
I look forward to connecting with more Lions in Korea and hope you will be there to join in the excitement. I believe that when Lions come together, fun and service fuse together for an unforgettable experience.
Pasta dinners and pancake breakfasts are staple fundraisers for many of our clubs. People keep coming back for seconds because of the delicious food, lively entertainment and the satisfaction of support the community. We found this week’s photo at Ocala.com.
The Top of the World Lions Club hosted an Italian dinner fundraiser that featured karaoke, swing dancing and dressed-up wait staff. Here, Virginia Redden sports a fake mustache as she delivers Italian food.
See other Photo of the Week posts.
Fundraising can be a chore for many of our clubs. But when you make an effort to keep the fun in your fundraisers, everyone benefits. This is the secret to success of the Lake Saint Louis Lions Club in Missouri. With the assistance of the club’s mascot, a 1-year old Golden Pyrenees puppy, their fundraisers have happily gone to the dogs.
“He engages the public,” Ratcliff said. “He makes it more fun. He makes it more fun for me because I’m basically providing entertainment.”
Ratcliff rescued the dog when he was just six weeks old. Winston didn’t require any special training for the task, which includes wearing a mane Ratcliff made by cutting up a giant stuffed animal.
“We get such a reaction from everybody, the kids especially,” Ratcliff says. “Everybody falls in love with him; he’s a sweet dog.”
In May, our clubs celebrate Recycle for Sight Month. After glasses are collected by clubs, they must be cleaned and sorted before the glasses can help people in need. At the Folsom State Prison in California, inmates are a crucial part of this process.
When we traveled to capture this segment of LQ, it was interesting to see how inmates worked in a variety of ways to improve the lives of the blind and visually impaired. While some inmates sorted glasses, others worked on Braille transcriptions of books and music for students. They also caption videos and record audio books.
Warden Rick Hill said that in addition to helping the community, the program is beneficial to the prisoners, who gain sought-after job skills and self-confidence through this partnership. “This is a very meaningful job that most of the guys in this program are totally selfless in what they’re doing. They really are totally committed to doing something good for the community and in some way paying back.”
