Lions Clubs around the world will be celebrating 100 years of community service in 2017. The Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions Club has been serving Juneau and surrounding communities for 33 years. As this Lion year comes to a close, we would like to thank the Juneau community for their continued support in our fundraising projects and being receptive to our community service activities.
For those who aren’t familiar with who we are, Lions are the largest service organization in the world. Our focus is children — this year we provided free vision screening to 1,891 children in most Juneau schools, including home schools. We traveled to Angoon, Cordova, Haines, Skagway, Sitka, Gustavus and other towns in Southeast to screen children. We found 280 children who were recommended to see an eye care professional and screened at 20 different locations throughout Southeast. We also provide financial support for families who can’t afford a child’s eye exam or glasses, as their last resort for assistance.
Another way we focus on children’s needs is with financial support for Camp K (a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes). Our annual barbecue in November donates all proceeds towards the American Diabetes Association/Alaska. Most children with Type 1 Diabetes will never enjoy the camp experience because of their medical needs. Camp K is designed for children with Type 1 Diabetes and will have medical staff on site to attend to all their medical needs as well as help children manage their diabetes while having fun and enjoying the camp experience.
One of our signature fundraisers is Light Flights that we do in partnership with Coastal Helicopters where we take passengers over the Mendenhall Valley to view Christmas lights. This is a highly anticipated event with proceeds going to the Children’s Tumor Foundation and Lion projects.
We have many other community service projects as well. We pick up litter along the Glacier Spur Road (to the glacier). We collect used eyeglasses and ship them to a recycle center in the North Pole where they are cleaned, repaired and shipped to the needy around the world. This year we’ve collected almost 1,500 pair of used eyeglasses. If you have any you care to donate, all eye care centers in Juneau have a drop box or you can watch for our Recycle For Sight Drive in October.
Our most recent community service project, that brought national attention, was the return of the USS Juneau Presentation Silver that now resides at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum.
Other projects we were involved with this year was helping at the Radio Center’s annual food drive, collected socks and gloves for Front Street Clinic, donated toys to St. Vincent at Christmas time, served lunch at the Glory Hole, helped at Family Farm Day at Swampy Acre and the Bike Safety Rodeo at Shepherd of the Valley Church. We rang the Salvation Army bell, assisted Helping Hands pantry and distributed approximately 1,500 pounds of donated fish and wild game to the local food banks.
Next time you see a Lion, ask how you, too, can get involved. The more members we have, the more we can help our community. For more information, contact Mike Norton at 957-1697.
The Mendenhall Flying Lions Club
