A Successful Recycle for Sight Drive

Yesterday the two Juneau clubs had their annual Recycle for Sight Drive at the Nugget Mall.  It started out a little slow but I think that was because the mall is practically empty with stores and there wasn't a good reason for people to show up.  

But once they did, they delivered!  

At present, the Joint Sight Conservation Committee (aka Joint Sight Committee) has eyeglass recycle boxes in all the eyecare facilities in Juneau.  Used eyeglasses are collected all year long.  The problem.... most people don't know this.... and we haven't figured out why.  We collect quite a few glasses from these eyecare facilities every year (around 2,000), but when you're telling this to inquiring minds, they simply aren't aware these recycle boxes exist.  Or they know that Lions do it, but don't know how to reach us...

A huge thanks to Lions Ted Burke, Tim Wilson, and Lion President Sasha Soboleff from the Juneau Club for hanging out yesterday.  And Lions Soapy Lingle, Neil Atkinson, and President Mike Norton for supporting the effort from the Mendenhall Flying Lions Club. Oh, and that's Leo the Lion from the Juneau Club--she came to support our efforts!  (A big thanks to Lion Tim's daughters!)

It often takes a village.... or a community.... to get things done.  In this case, our joint efforts collected 192 pair of glasses that we may otherwise have not received.     

I read an article from the Aurora Borealis Recycling Center and it said that they collect about 40,000 glasses each year and re-distribute about 30,000.  Where there's a need, there's a Lion or two or three helping to get the job done!  

We Serve!
Lion Nancy

Vision Screening Testimonial

There's no doubt that Lions have a passion for many things.  One of them being vision screening.  Not just any vision screening, but for children.  Most adults know they have vision problems or already wear corrective lenses.  But too often children aren't aware that what they're seeing, or not seeing, isn't normal.  Especially in younger children.  

Our club participates in all health fairs in town but it isn't always easy getting a parent to stop by our booth, even when invited.  We have to ask ourselves why.... ?  And how can we improve this?  How do we share the value of our screening?

Now, screening preschools and kindergarten children is different although we still have some schools in Juneau that refuse to let us in.  Again, why is this?  

As frustrating as this can be at times, all it takes is one testimonial to give you that oomph that you need to keep on trekking!  We received this testimonial last week from a mom who's pre-school son got screened by our club:  

If you need a parent testimonial, feel free to use us!  The Lion's Club recommended Craig for further testing last year based on his results and wow, were we ever surprised to find out that Craig was over compensating with his right eye.  At his eye exam if we covered up his right eye he claimed that he couldn't see anything!  He got glasses last spring and at his three-month check-up in July the eye doctor was ecstatic at the improvement in his left eye.  She said we were lucky to catch it at such a young age.  So, a big thanks to the Lion's Club and VBA for hosting them!  Jennifer Thorsteinson  

It doesn't take much to make us happy!  To keep the light on.  To keep us motivated.  For every "one" child we find... for every parent that finds value in what we do... and for the follow up to an eye professional.... it makes it all worthwhile.

And THIS is why we do what we do!

We Serve!

Lion Nancy

73 Years of Service

Half a century.... holy cow!  Yes, we, the Mendenhall Flying Lions have a member who recently celebrated 49 years of Lionism!

Lion Bruce Wing started out with the Glacier Valley Lions Club way back when and even presented Lion Mal Linthwaite, President of the newly Chartered Mendenhall Flying Lions Club, with one of their banners at our Charter Night.  They eventually dis-banned, turned in their Charter, and he joined the Mendenhall Flying Lions.  He was Club President 1995-1996.

Equally as valuable is Lion Ted Quinn who recently celebrated 24 years of Lionism in the Mendenhall Flying Lions Club.  Lion Ted was Club President from 1992 to 1994.

Congratulations, Lions Bruce and Ted and thanks for 73 years of service to our great town!

We Serve!  
Lion Nancy

Vision Screener Will Travel

Here in Southeast our commitment to vision screening is huge!  We get out there and do it all, from screening at health fairs to preschools and schools.  We send our screener to the far corners of the map, some times without us!

This month we had a few occasions to share the vision.

• Hoonah school district:  Screened 22 with 4 referrals
  
• Valley Baptist Academy (preschool):  Screened 80 with 18 referrals.  Thanks to Lions Soapy and Mike N.
  
• Alaska Health Fair:  Screened 5 with 1 referral.  Thanks to Lions Tommy and Mike N.
  
• Wrangell Elementary:  Screened 58 with 16 referrals.  Thanks to Lion Mike N.
  
• Wrangell Children's Coalition Health Fair:  Screened 63 with 11 referrals.  Thanks to Lion Mike N.
  
• Health Care Cost Management Corporation of Alaska (HCCMCA):  Screened 50 with 14 referrals.  Thanks to Lions Tommy and Allen.  

Not bad for one month!  

Thanks to all the Lions that helped share the vision!

We Serve!

Lion Nancy

Annual Barbecue

You know it's Fall when the Mendenhall Flying Lions start prepping for their annual barbecue! Every year around the first of November, they serve up their famous rib dinner to hundreds of locals. The proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the American Diabetes Association.

This is our 19th annual barbecue and we've raised over $150,000 for the ADA!  Course, we can't do it without the generous support of many local businesses.  McGivney's Sports Bar and Grill donates their space for our use.  They let us take over their kitchen for several hours on this day.  They even help serve!  The Alaskan Brewing Company, Super Bear, Food Services of America, and Sysco Food Service of Alaska all donate the food and miscellaneous items we need.  New this year is that Marc Ormsby of Fatmo's will be cooking our ribs for us!  A HUGE thank you to Marc!  And we can't forget to thank Teddy's Tasty Meats from Anchorage for donating these tasty ribs!  Without their generosity, we may not be doing this.

If you're in the area, stop by and visit with us!  Place is McGivneys in the Mendenhall Mall.  We will start serving at noon and serve until they're gone.

A dinner plate that includes ribs, baked beans, and potato salad will cost $15 per plate.  A lot of people just come for a rack of ribs though for $40.  You can eat at McGivneys or take it home to enjoy.  New this year is apple pie and ice cream for an additional cost of $5.


We Serve!
Lion Nancy

Recycle for Sight Drive

I don't know about you, but I tend to collect stuff.... after all, you never know when you might need that spare set of glasses that is 18 years old!

Because we realize this about most people, we are willing to take your old, unwanted and unused eyeglasses off your hands!  Heck, we'll even take your old sunglasses, reading glasses, AND cases! It doesn't matter if they're prescription or non-prescription.  Why you ask?  Because there are millions of people "out there," throughout the world, that can't see, that don't have glasses, and can't afford glasses.

This is part of a unique program with Lions Clubs International that we call Recycle for Sight.

On Saturday, October 25, we will be having a community drive where residents are asked to bring all their old eyeglasses to the Nugget Mall from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  If you can't make it Saturday, you can drop your glasses off at any eyecare provider in Juneau.  You can find a list of places HERE.

This unique recycling effort is brought to you by the Juneau Lions Club and the Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions Club as part of their Joint Sight Conservation Committee.  Members from both clubs collect eyeglasses throughout the year and forward them to the recycling center in North Pole where they're cleaned, categories, and distributed around the world.  You can read more about the center HERE.

Last year we collected 66 pair of used eyeglasses.  We hope that as the community becomes conditioned to watch for our drive, we will start gathering more.  We will wait for you.

We Serve!
Lion Nancy

Zone 7 Newsletter: October

We have a lot going on in Zone 7 from training to induction of new members to some great project ideas.  

Click here to read the October Zone 7 Newsletter which covers the Juneau Lions Club, Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions Club, Ketchikan Lions Club, Prince of Wales Branch Club, and Wrangell Lions.