Ohio Lions District 13K consists of 58 Lions clubs in Licking, Knox, Fairfield, Perry, Hocking, Muskingum, Noble, Monroe, Morgan, Washington, Athens and Meigs counties. In addition to being named club of the year, the Heath club won second place in the Governors Contest, the Excellence in Effort Award, the Ohio Lions Foundation Award, the Lions Club International Foundation Award, District Humanitarian Award, the District Service Award, and the Russ Williams Chapter Award. Individual awards include the “Excellent President Award” to Fran Heimerl and the “Excellent Secretary Award” to Virginia Ream.

Marilyn Fraunfelter, Al Carrelli, Robert Lovett, and Bill Sisco received the Governor’s Award for their work on the governor’s cabinet. Bill Sisco received the International President’s Appreciation Award from Lions Club International President Eberhard J. Wirfs in recognition of his work in improving District 13K communications through the use of an e-mail news network.

The Onchocerciasis Elimination Program in the Americas is a community-based partnership that includes volunteers in the endemic countries of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela and has the support of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pan American Health Organization, the Pan American Health and Education Foundation, Merck, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lions Clubs International Foundation, the release said.

Acting under a resolution by the Pan American Health Organization, the program has sought to end transmission of river blindness in these six endemic countries by 2012 through health education and the semiannual mass distribution of the anti-parasite drug Mectizan (ivermectin, Merck).

The Ministry of Health has been providing ivermectin to patients in the northern part of Ecuador’s Esmeraldas Province since 1990. In 2008, 27,372 ivermectin treatments were administered to more than 16,000 people there, after which epidemiological studies showed that the transmission of the parasite had been stalled.

Colombia was the first of the six nations to break the transmission of onchocerciasis in 2008.

“With only four countries remaining endemic, it’s critical that elimination efforts and health education are intensified elsewhere in the Americas to reach the regional goal and to avoid future suffering,” Frank O. Richards Jr., MD, director of the Carter Center’s River Blindness Program, said in the release.

In order for the World Health Organization to confirm that the parasite has been eliminated, a 3-year surveillance phase will begin in Ecuador this year to ensure that infection does not reoccur in the absence of ivermectin distribution.

These necessary funds were raised in only four hours. In the local depressed economy, everyone attending was aware of the needs for compassion towards the people in Haiti. Golden Corral also added to the effort with financial aid from part of the guests meal purchase. LCIF and the needs of people in Haiti also won over our guests and new friends within the Garner Police Department. A Garner Civitan called his Civic Club members to become a part of this exciting effort.

Partnering with Lions Clubs, Golden Corral is not new to stepping up to the needs of communities and their citizens around the world. Always generous in extending assistance for the local communities, the needs of Lions, and around the world, Golden Corral is a leader and sets an example to businesses throughout the world with the necessity of offering assistance when needed. The Garner Golden Corral and management answered the immediate need in both the LCIF-Katrina and LCIF-China efforts by raising needed funds for relief in those LCIF efforts. This was the same kind of partnership and event held. As a long standing member of the Roxboro Lions Club and past LCIF Sight-First II Coordinator, Lion Alan Michael has the insight to employee quality compassionate people who know what needs truly are. His staff is multi-culture in background and he has had to learn three languages to be able to communicate in his daily duties. The Golden Corral service and support staff donated their hard earned income as well for this effort. An event like this makes is fun however, it is harder for the service staff because of the people involved trying to serve the guests, informing everyone about what Lions accomplish through LCIF.

The Garner Police Department, “McGruff the Crime Dog”, met and greeted everyone that entered the restaurant. McGruff never missed the opportunity to have his picture taken with those that were young as well as those that were young at heart. The Police officers took care of the tables and serviced needs while the Lions of District 31-G, worked with the dinner guests by meeting their immediate needs for fun, knowledge and informational flyers with dinner. Lions filled in to take care of any gaps in service for the guests. Lions handed out flyers, explained what Lions accomplish both locally and globally, LCIF, and community needs within the State of North Carolina. Laughs, conversation, education and Service to Others made this a great night for everyone involved.

Just as “Lions Clubs International Foundation working with local Lions Clubs members with boots on the ground” at the Disaster site meet the timely needs in our world wide community and humanitarian efforts… previously stated from the immediate past Lions Clubs International Foundation President Al Brandel.

Every International Disaster in the recent years the Lions-Golden Corral Partnership has stepped up to be an important part of the cure for a disaster. The funding of a LCIF grant awarded to the country will secure a great future for Haiti in the years to follow this earthquake. The immediate grant aided in the initial disaster, the long term grant and relief efforts after others have left the country, this is what makes the Lions Clubs International Foundation different from others. Each dollar donated will make it to the relief effort and the goals of the rebuilding process. Outstanding humanitarian Lions Club members, like Alan Michael, have the unique opportunity to live up to the organizations motto, “We Serve!” This is what Lions Club Membership is all about, Service to Others.

Prestatyn and Rhyl Lions Club is donating its bus to the Uganda Eye Bus appeal after stricter health and safety regulations forced the club to take the vehicle off the road.

Club member Gerry Beasley said: “The bus is 10 years old and it will be used out there for another 10 years taking people to hospitals.

The bus will be taken by boat to Mombassa, Kenya, where a group of African volunteers will drive the bus to Kampala, Uganda.

It will be travelling with a custom-built £60,000 eye operation bus which is being paid for by Lions clubs across the North West and match-funded by the group’s international foundation.

Surgeons using the bus can operate on children suffering from cataract and eye problems.

Volunteers gathered Saturday at Wal-Mart, Walgreens and on busy street corners to gather donations for school-supply collection and raised over $2,500.

Stuff The Bus is a fundraising event that benefits school children who need a little help obtaining school supplies.

Suzanne Sanders, Sunset Lions Club Stuff the Bus organizer, said the club has supported the program for 20 years and is sponsored by all of the Lions Clubs of Seguin and Geronimo.

“Richard Garza with Seguin ISD is the one who was doing it before I got involved, but it wasn’t called Stuff the Bus until I got a hold of it, renamed it and got clubs and organizations helping and it has grown tremendously since then,” she said. “He used to do 50 bags per grade and this year we are doing 150 bags per grade. So, we are actually going to provide 1,500 school children with school bags.”

Sanders and the team collect supplies and donations throughout the year and set aside donation locations.

While every little bit helps, Sanders said some donations help a little bit more.

“We appreciate the school supplies but with the monetary donations we can buy it at a discount and with no tax and in bulk,” she said. “So, we can get a lot more supplies with the money. We won’t turn anything down, everything gets used.”

During the Saturday campaign, the Lions Club members had some help from members of Seguin High School’s Interact Club.

Morgan Richardson, president of the Interact Club said that even though she will be graduating after this year, she will be back to continue what she has started.

“I am planning to come next year. I love knowing its going to help someone,” she said. “We had a blast and we started making up songs about Stuff the Bus.”

Nick Sheffield, Interact Club head of public relations committee said he enjoyed being able to get out there and engage the community, especially the younger members.

“I think my favorite part was actually seeing the little kids donate,” he said. “It was very touching.”

Sanders said community members really step up to help the area children.

“I think the community realizes the young children who are low income need a boost in help to go to school. And we want the children to go to school happy and ready to learn and not worrying about the fact they don’t have notebook paper,” she said.

The bags the children receive are filled with at least one of every item on the school’s supply list, with a few exceptions, Sanders said.

“They wont get any of the kitchen items,” she said. “Every kid that is in elementary (pre-k to sixth grade) will get at least of one of everything. We will also help the older kids of these families. They will get a few supplies that apply to their grade.”

Sanders said she enlisted help from a summer program to help make the process a little quicker.

“We also use the parks and recreations day camp children, who help out every year,” she said. “Without them we couldn’t fill the 1,500 bags in one day.”

On Wednesday, Aug 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mary B. Erskine, qualifying students can come pick up the supply bags the organization has put together.

School supplies are not all the kids will have a chance to get, Sanders said.

“There will also be an Inter-Agency Health Fair where they can sign up for other social services and that is from 10:30 to noon,” she said. “They will check their eyes so they know whether they do or don’t need glasses and they can also get immunizations, so bring your shot records.”

The help does not end there. Students who do not make it to Stuff the Bus still have a chance to receive a few supplies, Sanders said.

“Whatever is left over and when school starts, you can go to your school counselor and they will have a box of supplies and you will be able to get some of your supplies from there,” she said.

To contribute to the program throughout the year donations can be sent to the Seguin ISD in the name of Stuff the Bus.

Christine Turner of Bridgeton was grocery shopping with her three children Wednesday afternoon when she saw the North Carolina Lions Foundation free eye-screening bus in the parking lot of Merci Clinic.

Turner works in a sandwich shop and doesn’t have insurance. Her husband, Christopher, recently started a new job at a retail store and isn’t covered either.

Turner, 29, knows she has eye problems. She wore a patch for a year when she was a 16-year-old and had glasses until she was 21 and couldn’t afford them anymore. She had trouble passing the eye exam the last time she had her driver’s license renewed.

She spent more than a half hour in the Lions’ bus, where club members conduct basic screenings on participants.

She emerged glad she had stopped in. “I definitely need to see an eye doctor,” she said. “They (Lions) said they might can help.”

“We will help her,” said Lion volunteer Bobbi Fisher. “Having an eye exam should be one of the most important medical priorities. If people will get an exam, the Lions can help. Lions have been doing that since 1917.”

Fisher said Turner and other referrals must go through a short follow-up interview to see if they qualify for any state medical assistance. If not, then the Lions step in, and provide a free referral through doctors Shawn Doty and Jay Singleton, and optician Phil White. Fisher said the Lions hope to get even more area eye professionals to help their program.

The Wednesday stop in New Bern provided 83 free screenings.

Lions clubs have carried out one of the most impressive fundraising efforts Starship hospital has seen.

Bucklands Beach Lions Club member Roger Robinson began the fundraising project by challenging clubs district-wide to contribute $500,000 towards the cost of remodelling the hospital’s oncology ward.

Last week Bucklands Beach and Remuera Lions club members presented the fourth $100,000 instalment to Starship.

“It’s probably one of the biggest community support projects we have seen.

“We are thrilled,” says marketing and communications coordinator Cindy Carleton.

The $7 million project is due to be complete at the end of April and will be “state of the art”.

The amount raised by the Lions will also go to providing more high dependency rooms in the bone marrow treatment unit.

Eighteen individual rooms will provide patients with “more privacy and dignity”.

Each room will have a bed for a parent to stay with their child.

The ward, which will also have a separate adolescent area, is due to be complete by the end of April.

Pakuranga Lions Club contributed $11,000 through selling firewood and holding fashion shows and barbecues at Botany Town Centre.

Mr Robinson says when he pitched the idea at a convention in October 2007 they “looked at me with doubt” but put their support behind making it happen.

“I thought it was achievable,” he says.

The Lions clubs have only $60,000 more to raise to reach the $500,000 target.

Mrs Carleton says the ward had world class care but the facilities were lacking.

Having the best environment possible will greatly improve patient recovery, she says.

At a ceremony to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions, Albert F. Brandel, president of the International Association of Lions Clubs, said: “Lions Clubs International and its network of 45,000 clubs in 205 countries have long provided relief to victims of natural disasters. The Memorandum between Lions Clubs International and the International Federation will further strengthen our ability to respond in time of need, and should be viewed as mutually beneficial.”

In his remarks, IFRC Secretary General Bekele Geleta pointed out that well-trained volunteers can achieve positive and sustainable changes in their community, because they are there before, during and after disaster strikes. They can make a real difference in reducing the impact of disasters and play a vital role in empowering communities to be prepared for crisis.

“To achieve our humanitarian goals and create a culture of prevention, we must improve the situation of our volunteers all over the world. We must strongly advocate for better volunteer management practices, internationally and nationally,” he explained. “Because we are facing major challenges posed by global disasters linked to climate change and economic crises, it is vital we do this in cooperation with partners, like the Lions, who also operate at the community level. Together we can build safer and more resilient communities.”

Projects will be developed at the local level, focusing on disaster preparedness and response, and on the promotion of volunteerism, as well as on programs to build up the operational capacity of their volunteers all over the world. This cooperation will encourage activities, which meet local needs.

Founded in 1917, LCI is the world’s largest service club organization with 1.3 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in 205 countries and geographic territories. Lions members work together to answer needs at the community level, funding projects that range from cleaning up parks to providing people affected by disasters with emergency supplies. The Lions ALERT program works closely with local emergency responders. (For more information: www.lionsclubs.org)

With 186 member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and some 100 million volunteers, the IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Its mission is to improve the situation of the most vulnerable people. Founded in 1919, it works to strengthen the capacity of its member Societies to carry out effective disaster preparedness and disaster response activities as well as health and social programs. (For more information: www.ifrc.org)

The Federation, the national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. For further information on Federation activities, please see our web site: www.ifrc.org

Lions throughout Italy are assisting in emergency response efforts. LCIF has already issued a US$10,000 Emergency Grant so that Lions in the affected areas can quickly help people get food, water and medicine. LCIF will continue to work with Lions to assess immediate and long-term needs.