With gratitude we wish to thank to the Morrison, IL, area residents’ 2018 support, given to Morrison Lions fundraisers, such as the recent Holiday Ham sale. With those funds the Lions completed a variety of service projects and gave aid to local, State, National and International needs.
The largest service project undertaken by the Lions in 2018 was working with the City of Morrison to hold a Recycle Day. It was a huge success and the good news is the club will do it again on Saturday, September 14, 2019, at the same place, Whiteside County Fairgrounds. Be sure to thank those serving on the Fair Board for offering the use of their facility. The club found it to be a perfect place for this service project.
Club members have also worked on a much needed refurbish of the pavilion at French Creek Park. That included a new metal roof and reinforcement of the structure. When warm weather arrives, paint will complete the project.
A Diabetes Awareness Health Fair was held by the Club and hosted at Resthave Home. The club celebrated 100 years at the 2017 Centennial Celebration Convention in Chicago, IL. Lions started their second 100 years with the [goal] to eradicate diabetes. Morrison Lions donate annually to the American Diabetes Association.
Beyond the community, Morrison Lions donates to Lions International Foundation, supporting vision, hearing, disaster needs; working to stamp out measles; campaigning for Diabetic Awareness; many other needs. The Lions of Illinois Foundation provides the same services covering Illinois.
Be sure to take advantage of the free mobile retinal and hearing screening units when they are hosted by our club.
Other donations include support of the Center for Sight and Hearing, built by Lions and located in Rockford, IL. This facility is available to all. More can be found by checking their website https://www.cshni.org/. A donation is made for low vision screening covering students enrolled in Special Education and includes the eye examination and any optical aid. Morrison Lions provides vision services for local individuals and a reimbursement to CGH Eyeglasses for Kids, for Morrison area children they have helped. An annual donation is also made to Leader Dogs for the Blind that raise and train leader dogs. They ultimately train the recipient of the dog at no cost, which includes transportation and living expenses during the approximately 21 day training period. The club donates to Eversight who works to restore sight and prevent blindness. They retrieve donor tissue for corneal transplants and other vision needs and also [conduct] vision research.
Lynne Wiebenga, left, and President Darlene Smith display colorful, warm caps, mittens/gloves and scarves, collected for distribution by the Helping Hand group.
Morrison Lions sponsor the City of Morrison T-Ball team and Peace Poster contest winner. We support Morrison Youth Baseball and Softball; White Oaks Therapeutic Equestrian Center; Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois; Morrison Boy Scouts; Morrison Junior Tackle Football; Resthave Home Family Fun Day; Odell Public Library; the Helping Hand Group.
During the holiday season, members donated winter apparel to the Helping Hand group, for their distribution to needy families. Members also donate cash and canned goods or other needed supplies to Morrison Friends Food Pantry. A new cot was purchased for the school nurse to replace a very old one.
Members also clean a one-mile stretch of Route 30 East twice a year, picking up many bags of garbage.
Morrison Lions meet at noon on the first and third Tuesday of each month at Happy Joe’s, 109 W. Main Street. We cordially invite anyone interested in learning more about Lions to come to any of our meetings. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, February 5, 2019.
Learn more about our club by viewing our website www.eclubhouse.org/sites/morrisonil.www.eclubhouse.org/sites/morrisonil