Another Year Come and Gone

The Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions is a small club by most standards.  We have 22 members but broken down, 4 members live out of town/state and 3 members are inactive which leave 15 active members.  Of those active members, 8 members work and 7 members are retired.

So what can a club of 15 active members do in a year's time?  Let me show you:

July:

• We had a 4th of July booth at the parade staging area where we offered hot coffee and pastries to participants while they waited for the parade to start.  We made $364.  
• Picked up trash on the road that takes you to the Mendenhall Glacier.
  

August: 

• Assisted Helping Hands prepare for a fundraiser.  
• Donated $100 to the Center for the Blind.
• Our meeting place closed (The Broiler) and we had to relocate.

September:

• We had our second litter pick up in September.
• Vision Screening efforts took place at Glacier Baptist  Academy, Floyd Dryden Middle School, Riverbend Elementary, and Angoon Schools.
  

October: 

• Celebrated 50 years of Lionism and Serving our Community with Lion Bruce Wing.  
• Participated in the Recycle for Sight Community Drive where we asked the community to donate their used eyeglasses; 245 pair of eyeglasses were donated.  
• Donated $5,000 to Family Promise.
• Collected and shipped 1,460 pair of eyeglasses to the Aurora Borealis Recycle Center at the North Pole.
• Vision screening efforts took place at:  Gustavus, Headstart, Gastineau Elementary, Early Learning Fair for Babies and Infants, Harborview Elementary, Montessori, and Wrangell schools.
  

November:  

• Annual Barbecue at McGivneys where we raised $3,060 for the Alaska Diabetes Association.  
• Donated $250 to the Bethel Winterhouse after the fire.
• Braved the weather to honor and remember the sailors of the USS Juneau at the USS Juneau Remembrance Ceremony.
• Participated in the Radio Center Annual Food Drive.  Collected food, went to jail, unloaded the buses, and stocked food at the Food Bank.
• Vision screening efforts took place in Sitka.  
• Delivered 20 pair of men’s wool socks, 12 pair women’s, and 4 nice ski gloves to Front Street Clinic for the homesless.  
• Donated $500 to Ronald McDonald House
• Donated $500 to Camp K, a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes.  

December:

• Donated $500 to Shop With A Cop
• Had a Christmas social where members brought toys to give to the needy.  
• Delivered collected toys to St. Vincents.
• Inducted three new members.
• Donated $300 to St. Vincents
• Donated $300 to the AWARE Center 
• Rang the Salvation Army Bell
• Donated $500 to Salvation Army
• Annual Light Flights fundraiser.  Raised $10,795.  Coastal Helicopter pilots and staff donate their time for this event as well as fuel is donated.  Coastal donated $5,397 to the Children's Tumor Foundation and $5,397 went into Lions projects.

January:

• Served lunch at the Glory Hole, a homeless shelter. 
  

February:

• USS Juneau Social at Buoy Deck for Military and Veterans
• USS Juneau Reception for Legislators and other dignitaries
• USS Juneau Reception open to the public
• Vision Screening Efforts:  Legislative Affairs Health Fair
• Provided New Member Orientation to three new members and their sponsor.  
• Inducted a new member, Lion Bob Nielsen
  

March:  

• Vision Screening Efforts:  Gold Medal, Raven Home School, Faith Community Church.
• Donated $250 to Shepherd of the Valley Church food pantry
• Donated $176 to Leader Dog
• Donated $3,100 to Alaska Diabetes Association

April:

• Litter Pick Up
• Vision Screening Efforts:  Juneau Community Church, Cordova schools, Anchorage Kids Day, Early Learning Fair, Skagway Child Find, Skagway Health Fair
• Had a Social
• Hosted 2nd Vice District Governor Jeannine Morse's club visit
• Donated $100 to the Newtok Water Project 
• Donated $250 to the Harborview Extended Summer Program 
• Delivered donated sport-cut fish to the local food banks and pantries.  This is fish that was caught, processed, but never picked up. 

May:

• Helped Swampy Acres at their annual Family Farm Day
• Offered a Scholarship of $500 for Elias Antaya
• Had our first annual Meet and Greet, a recruitment effort to get new members.
• Donated $100 for Beep Baseball in Anchorage.
• Delivered more fish fish fish to Shepherd of the Valley, Glory Hole, Helping Hands, and Southeast Alaska Food Bank

June:  

• Set up a table at the Nugget Mall to share what we do
• Assisted Shepherd of the Valley Church with their annual Block Party.  We provide a bicycle obstacle course and talk about bicycle safety.  
• Assist Helping Hands with their weekly food distribution
• Placed flowers at the USS Juneau Memorial to honor the other two USS Juneau ships.  
• Delivered more fish fish fish to Shepherd of the Valley, Glory Hole, Helping Hands, and Southeast Alaska Food Bank.  Total fish and wild game delivered, approximately 1,500 pounds!!!!
• Planted a Crimsom King Maple at the American Legion Post.  Tree was donated by Glacier Gardens.  
• End of year social and induction of new officers.  

Joint Sight Committee (September to present):  Approved 10 applications for financial assistance

for a total of $3,201 

TOTAL DONATIONS for 2015-2016:  $15,627

VISION SCREENING EFFORTS:

            Screened 1,891 children

            Referred 280

            At 20 locations

This is what an active club looks like!  Alone, we can do a little, but with a little help from everyone, we can accomplish great things!  

We Serve!

Lion Nancy Norton