Alaska Centennial Honorarium

The following was presented to District Governor Karen Burns by the Alaska Legislature:

*Honoring the Lions Club Centennial*

The Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature joins the Lions in celebrating their hundredth year of service. From their humble beginnings as a club to improve the community in Chicago to their administration of over 10,000 grants, the Lions Club’s impact can be seen wherever members focus their efforts.

The Lions Club was started in 1917 when Melvin Jones told members of his local business they ought to focus not only on business issues, but to the betterment of their communities and the world. The group took on the name of the “Association of Lions Clubs”, and before the year’s end had adopted a constitution, bylaws, objectives, and a code of ethics.

As the organization grew, it continued working towards the goal of the betterment of the world. The first international growth of the Lions happened with the chartering of a club in Canada in 1920, and just over a decade later the first international convention outside of the U.S. took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Lions took on the challenge of blindness with Helen Keller’s charging of them to be “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”. To this end, in 1930 the Lions introduced the iconic white cane with a red band as a means of assisting the blind in independent mobility—an idea that went on the become statute in every state in the U.S. and numerous other countries. The club’s fight against blindness continues to this day alongside the numerous other efforts of the club.

In 1968 the Lions Clubs International Foundation was established to support the humanitarian work of the Lions. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed over $826 million in grants to support humanitarian efforts from floods in South Dakota in 1972, to eliminating river blindness in Colombia in 2013.

Alaska Lions carry on the club’s mission in the state with their contributions to vision screening, eyeglass recycling, and the Joint Sight Committee. They provide glasses to the needy, assistance for the visually impaired, and financial assistance to those who are unable to purchase eyeglasses for themselves. The Aurora Borealis Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center has recycled approximately 40,000 pairs of eyeglasses per year, sending roughly 30,000 to eye care missions.

Emphasizing the club’s dedication to bettering their communities, one of the Alaska Lions’ most remarkable contributions was their pivotal role in housing inhabitants from Ag’waneq and Port Wakefield. After the villages were destroyed in the Good Friday earthquake in 1964, the Lions were instrumental in having housing built for the displaced Alaskans, issuing a grant of $1 million dollars to fund the creation of Port Lions.

The Lions Club has contributed in countless ways to improving their communities and the world, demonstrating the value of individuals coming together to make meaningful change. The members of the Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature are honored to celebrate the Lions Club’s 100^th year of service, and look forward to their future accomplishments.

PCC Neil Atkinson with Lions Donna Hurley, Sasha Soboleff, and District Governor Karen Burns

#Lions100

Lion Bob Hurley's Obituary

We lost Lion Bob Hurley on November 3.  He was a quiet member but one you could always count on. You can read his obituary HERE.  May he rest in peace.

Lion Bob Hurley

Women of Distinction

Lion Rena Sims is one exceptional Lion.  With the help of her husband, Lion Lenny, they have helped over 300 children in need (fostering) and adopting nine of them.  She was recognized for her life work at the annual AWARE'S Women of Distinction Celebration on March 4.

Lion Rena moved to Juneau in 1983 from a Christian Community Farm in Detroit, Michigan.  Lion Rena worked with REACH and the State of Alaska Office of Children Services, which she found to be a very difficult and often thankless job.  After her two daughters graduated from high school, Lion Rena opened up her home and her heart to the children of the foster care system.  Lion Rena is also co-owner of the Sims Foster Assisted Living Home.  Since that time, Lion Rena has had over 300 foster children pass through her doors.  

Lion Rena married her husband, Lion Lenny, in 1995.  They have embraced each of their foster children as family and have adopted nine.  Never one to turn a child away, Rena often parents some of the most vulnerable children who require extra special care.  One child, AJ, who was born blind and with other disabilities, required 24/7 care for five years.  Lion Rena was not discouraged.  

Lion Rena doesn't work just for the women and children of Juneau.  She and her husband make yearly missionary trips to countries in Africa and to the Philippines.  Her work in those regions usually involve building schools and hospitals, working with women and children by distributing medicine, and helping with other preventative care.  

Her compassion is boundless and through her works she has made sure that people with many different abilities have been able to enjoy life with trips to Disneyland, San Francisco, and even Hawaii, often using her own personal funds.  

When asked what her personal hobbies are, she included, "building new homes, making new things beautiful," which seems to not just be a hobby, but her entire life's work.  

(Taken from the Women of Distinction Program book.)

Lion Rena is a relatively new Lion, sponsored by Lion Bruce Wing, may he rest in peace.  She, and Lion Lenny, were Lion Bruce's caregivers in the last couple years of his life.  Before he passed away, Lion Bruce adopted Lion Rena as his daughter.

Lions Rena and Lenny, thank you for all you do for the children of Juneau!  We Serve!

LION Magazine Article: USS Juneau

The USS Juneau is certainly a big part of Juneau's history and it was an honor to assist in bringing the Presentation Silver back to its home port.  A big thanks to everyone who was involved.

You can find an article on the USS Juneau in this month's (March 2017) LION Magazine written by Lion Donna Hurley.  Click HERE and scroll down a bit for the article, "Juneau Lions Bring the Silver And History Home."  

3rd Quarter Report

This is our report for the third quarter of this fiscal year:  

Membership Status:  We currently have 17 members.   Lion Bruce Wing passed away; he will be missed greatly. 

                                              

Reporting:  District and International reporting is current.  

Centennial Celebration

Sharing the Vision:

Joint Sight Committee assisted 1 client with eyeglasses for a total of $121 in financial assistance. 

Feeding the Hungry:   

Assisted Helping Hands with their weekly food distribution. 

Participated in the Alaska Radio Center’s Sharing is Caring annual food drive. 

Provided and prepared lunch at The Glory Hole, our local homeless shelter.  

Lions Donna Hurley (front), Mukhya and Hari Dev Khalsa

Protecting our Environment:   

Continued to collect used toner cartridges for the Worldwide Mobility program. 

Other

Wrapped presents for Helping Hands annual fundraising event.

Light Flights was cancelled due to weather conditions.  This is our annual fundraising event.

Helped with the Memorial Service for Lion Bruce Wing.  He was a Lion for 51 years. 

Collected socks and gloves and donated them to a local clinic that services the homeless and needy population of Juneau.

Rang the Salvation Army Bell. 

Donations
American Diabetes Association $4,000

Alaska Peace Officers Association  $300 (Shop With a Cop)

AWARE Shelter $300

Salvation Army  $300

St. Vincents  $300

Helping Hands  $400

PTSD Service Dog  $200

Upcoming Projects

Membership drive and centennial celebration.

A bench in memory of Lion Bruce Wing (Legacy Level 1 Project).

Monuments for the two remaining USS Juneau ships to be located at the current memorial site (Legacy Level 2 Project).  

Total volunteer hours to date:  672 Lion hours

Total people served to date:  16,924

Lunch at the Glory Hole

As part of Lions Clubs International's Worldwide Week of Service to Fight Hunger, a few members ventured out into the cold and Taku Winds today to fix and serve lunch at The Glory Hole, a shelter for the homeless and needy population of Juneau.

Lions Donna Hurley (front) with Mukhya and Hari Dev Khalsa

On the menu today:  Pulled pork sandwiches, split pea soup, cole slaw, and other side dishes.

About 52 patrons enjoyed this feast, with many coming back for seconds.  And that's how it should be.  Thanks to Lions Donna Hurley and Mukhya and Hari Dev Khalsa!  Relieving the Hunger  #Lions100 

We Serve!

Lion Nancy Norton

Midnight Sun Service Dogs

While at Mid-Winter in Palmer, Alaska, this past November, we had the honor of listening to the founder of the Midnight Sun Service Dog, April Gettys, talk about her incredible organization.  They train dogs based on need (PTSD, emotional support, etc.) and can use our help in funding their training program.

You can get more information at:    
Web page:  https://midnightsunservicedogs.com/
Like on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/midnightsunservicedogs/about/?ref=page_internal
Contact April Gettys at:  april@midnightsunservicedogs.org